-The Hindu No adverse short- or long-term health effects from emissions, government tells Parliament The Union government has told Parliament that the exposure limit of radio frequency fields (base station emissions) will be brought down to one-tenth of the existing level from September 1. This was to have been implemented from April 1. However, on an examination of the impact of the revised Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) exposure limit on area coverage...

-The Hindu The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines of April 1998 say epidemiological studies on workers exposed to Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) and the public have shown no major health effects associated with typical exposure environments. The studies have yielded no convincing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk. In India, the GSM services are being operated in 900 MHz and...

-The Economic Times In case of a nuclear accident in India at present, the maximum fine that can be imposed by the regulator on an offending nuclear plant is Rs 500. A CAG report on Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, has raised concern about the weak regulatory framework in the country that could pose potential danger like Chernobyl or the recent accident in Fukushima, Japan. Worse, the AERB,...

-Live Mint The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has criticized India’s atomic energy regulator for not being truly independent, not having a radiation safety policy and being lax in monitoring the proliferation of unregistered medical X-ray facilities in the country. This is the first time ever that the performance of the 29-year-old Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has been reviewed by the government’s auditor. The move follows criticism of the safety of...

Universities should not have to bow to research institutes, writes Debashis Gangopadhyay. Basic Sciences versus Applied Sciences Undermining humanities studies in schools will lead to a large number of science graduates in the market. This is a boon for multinational companies as profits will escalate — the cost of labour being lower. However, the danger to profits persist from another aspect. Students who study science out of their love for a subject are...