Telecom Commission to decide on implementing International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection rules next week
NEW DELHI: India, with around 260 million wireless subscribers, is set to adopt the international compliance norms to prevent health hazards linked to use of mobile phones.
The Telecom Commission, the policy-making body in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is scheduled to meet next week to decide on the adoption of guidelines prescribed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), it is learnt.
ICNIRP guidelines are a benchmark for permitted maximum emission from mobile phones and base stations.
Once the Telecom Commission takes a decision, all mobile phone operators would have to comply with the ICNIRP norms.
There are many reasons why the government wants to mandate the international guidelines. With India’s mobile telephony user base growing by around 8 million every month, there’s growing concern over health risks due to electromagnetic emissions from base stations and handsets.
Questions related to impact of mobile phones on health have been raised in Parliament several times in the recent past. Last week, health minister A Ramadoss also called for a detailed study to assess how mobile phones are a health hazard.
There have been some international studies in the past couple of weeks, stating that mobile phones could have an adverse impact on health.
The ICNIRP guidelines are already being followed in many countries including the US, UK, Japan and Korea, a source said.
Licensed in Germany, ICNIRP is an international independent scientific organisation that provides guidance on health hazards of non-ionising radiation exposure. Its guidelines are endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Radio waves or electromagnetic energy can heat the body, but scientific research suggests that a temperature rise of less than 1 degree celsius is a safe level for the body to cope with.
And, the ICNIRP guidelines ensure this level is not exceeded in relation to public exposure to electromagnetic waves from mobile phones and base stations.
It is learnt that the technical arm of DoT, Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), is ready with the implementation modalities of the ICNIRP guidelines. The timeframe for implementing the international standards and penalty for non-compliance by telcos will be determined by the government soon.
While handset makers and telecom service providers would be required to give a self-certification in compliance with the ICNIRP norms, random checks will be conducted by independent third parties to ensure that the guidelines are being followed at base stations, numbering over 70,000. Inspections will be carried out to check the quality of mobile handsets also, to ensure that they are ICNIRP-compliant.
Even as inputs of mobile phone players were sought by TEC for firming up the ICNIRP implementation modalities, industry is believed to be apprehensive of the new regime.
The president of the Indian Cellular Association, Pankaj Mohindroo, said90% of the handsets sold in India are branded, and these are compliant with international emission standards.
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