Government of India, in the year 2008, adopted the international radiation norms prescribed by International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in respect of mobile towers and mobile handsets.
Further, in respect of mobile towers, norms for exposure limit for the Radio Frequency Field (Base Station Emissions) has been reduced to 1/10th of the limits prescribed by ICNIRP with effect from 01.09.2012.
In respect of Mobile Handsets, the following directions have been issued by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) with effect from 01.09.2012 regarding Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values:
(i) SAR level for mobile handsets is limited to 1.6 Watt/Kg, average over a mass of 1 gram of human tissue.
(ii) All the new design of mobile handsets shall comply with the SAR value of 1.6 Watt/Kg averaged over a mass of 1 gram tissue with effect from 1st September, 2012. However, the mobile handsets with existing designs, which are compliant with 2.0 Watt/Kg averaged over a mass of 10 gram tissue, may continue to co-exist upto 31st August 2013.
(iii) From 1st September 2013, only the mobile handsets with revised SAR value of 1.6 Watt/Kg are permitted to be manufactured or imported in India for domestic market.
With the above measures, India now has one of the most stringent EMF exposure norms in the world.
Telecom Service Providers submit the compliance to the prescribed radiation norms by way of submission of self-certificate to the respective Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cell of DoT. TERM Cells test upto 10% of Base Transmitting Station (BTS) sites randomly at its discretion. Additionally, the BTS sites against which there are public complaints are also tested by TERM Cell. For non-compliance of radiation norms, there is a provision of levy of penalty of Rs. 5 Lakh per BTS.
Strict monitoring and enforcement of revised radiation norms has been initiated by DoT. In 102 cases, where the Base Station Emissions were found to be higher than the prescribed norms, corrective actions have been taken immediately and necessary show cause notices/demand notices have been issued.
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