Daylight Saving Time (DST):
Lebanon saw mass confusion after its government at the last minute delayed the start of daylight saving time by a month.
- Lebanon usually sets its clocks forward an hour on the last Sunday in March.
- Prime Minister said this year, the clocks would be reset on 21 April, without citing any reason.
- It is the practice of turning the clock ahead as warmer weather approaches and back as it becomes colder again.
- The practice was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784.
- India does not follow daylight saving time as countries near the Equator do not experience high variations in daytime hours between seasons.
- However, people of the Northeast have demanded a separate time zone to make up for the loss of daylight hours due to the longitudinal breadth of India.
- Several countries, including Australia, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States, adopted Daylight Saving Time during World War I to conserve fuel by reducing the need for artificial light.
- A group of Canadians in Port Arthur (Ontario) were the first to adopt the practice of setting their clocks an hour ahead in 1908.
- Among the biggest disadvantages is the disruption of the body clock or circadian rhythm leading to health issues.
