Govt dismisses report over mobile phone use by children

New Delhi, Sept 4 (UNI) The government has dismissed recent reports that it is considering taking steps not to allow the use of mobile phones by children below 16 years of age.

The Communications and IT Ministry said the draft guidelines for complying with limits for human exposure to electromagnetic fields (Base Station antennas and Mobile Telephones/Radio Terminals) are under preparation by an Expert Group.

Earlier, media reports said the draft guidelines prepared by the Telecom Engineering Centre and under consideration of the department of telecom (DoT) had suggested that children below 16 years should be discouraged from using cell phones.

The news report said that phones and base station antennas used by telecom operators radiate energy that heats up tissues and may be harmful to human beings, especially children.

For base station antennas, the report said, these should not be installed within the premises of schools and hospitals.

Installation of these antennas in narrow lanes should also be avoided to reduce the risks caused by any earthquake or wind related disaster, it added.

The expert group formed by the government involves stakeholders from Health Ministry, IT, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), BSNL, MTNL, telecom associations like COAI, AUSPI, TEMA.

The views expressed during discussions as well as the inputs provided by the Expert Group have been merely compiled and it is in the form of a draft for discussion in future meetings, the Ministry added.

TEC has not given any recommendation on the subject as on date, it said.

UNI