Communications & Information Technology on Environment: 2013-14 Q. No. Q. Type Date Ans by Members Title of the Questions Subject Specific Political State Ministry Party Representati ve 684 27.02.2013 Communicatio Shri Anandrao Adsul Radiation from Mobile Pollution SS ns and Towers/Handsets Information Unstarred Technology Shri S. Pakkirappa Health and Sanitation BJP Karnataka *127 06.03.2013 Communicatio Shri Laxman Tudu Guidelines for Installation of BJD ns and Towers Information Starred Technology EIA Odisha Shri Dushyant Singh Pollution BJP Rajasthan 2644 13.03.2013 Communicatio Shri Jayant Chaudhary Radiation from Towers Pollution RLD Uttar Pradesh ns and Information Unstarred Technology BJP Madhya Shri Bhoopendra Singh Health and Sanitation Pradesh Shri A.K.S. Vijayan DMK Tamil Nadu Shri Syed Shahnawaz BJP Bihar Hussain Shri Dilip Kumar BJP Mansukhlal Gandhi Maharashtra Shri Suresh Kumar INC Andhra Shetkar Pradesh 641 07.08.2013 Communicatio Shri Nalin Kumar Kateel Radiation from Pollution BJP Karnataka ns and Towers/Handsets Information Unstarred Technology Shri Ratan Singh Health and Sanitation INC Rajasthan Shri S. R. Jeyadurai DMK Tamil Nadu Shri Purnmasi Ram JD(U) Bihar Shri Chandre D.B. Gowda BJP Karnataka 1480 14.08.2013 Communicatio Shri Jeetendra Singh Telecom Infrastructure for Disaster Management BJP Madhya ns and Bundela Disaster Management Pradesh Information Unstarred Technology

Shri P. C. Mohan BJP Karnataka 2243* 18.12.2013 Communicatio Shri N.S.V. Chitthan Renewable Energy for Energy Studies INC Tamil Nadu ns and Telecom Towers Information Unstarred Technology Shri Anand Prakash SS Paranjpe Alternative Technologies Maharashtra Shri Bhaskarrao Bapurao INC Patil Maharashtra Shri M. Krishnasswamy INC Tamil Nadu Shri Eknath Mahadeo INC Gaikwad Maharashtra Shri Virender Kashyap BJP Himachal Pradesh Shri Rajaiah Siricilla INC Andhra Pradesh *218 Starred 05.02.2014 Communicatio Shri Haribhau Madhav Radiation from Mobile BJP ns and Jawale Towers Information Technology Health and Sanitation Maharashtra 2356 05.02.2014 Communicatio Shri Eknath Mahadeo Carbon Credit Policy for INC ns and Gaikwad Telecom Firms Information Climate Change and Unstarred Technology Meteorology Maharashtra Shri Sadashivrao Dadoba Ind. Mandlik Alternative Technologies Maharashtra Shri N.S.V. Chitthan Energy Studies INC Tamil Nadu Shri A. Ganeshamurthi MDMK Tamil Nadu 3385 12.02.2014 Communicatio Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab Norms for Installation of BJD ns and Mobile Towers Information Unstarred Technology Health and Sanitation Odisha Shri Gowdar BJP Karnataka Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara Pollution Shri Sanjay Shamrao BJP Dhotre Maharashtra Dr. Nilesh INC Maharashtra 4220 19.02.2014 Communicatio Shri Pradeep Majhi IT Research Academy Water Management INC ns and Information Unstarred Technology Odisha

RADIATION FROM MOBILE TOWERS HANDSETS 27th February, 2013

LSQ 684

SHRI SHRI S. PAKKIRAPPA

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether a clampdown on mobile tower installation is leading to call drops problem in cities;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the corrective measures proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether the weaker signals from mobile tower result in higher radiation from mobile handsets and subscribers are exposed to more electromagnetic radiation from the handset as its being closure to human body;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to make norms for installation of mobile towers and manufacturing and sale of handsets more stringent;

(e) whether the Government has made it mandatory to display radiation tag on mobile handsets; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the action taken against defaulters in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI )

(a) No Madam. Mobile towers and Base Transmitting Stations BTS) are being installed by the telecom service providers as per availability of users, spectrum and Radio Frequency planning. This is an ongoing process and telecom service providers augment their mobile network progressively so as to enhance coverage, capacity and to further improve the quality of service. Measures like BTS addition, capacity augmentation & up-gradation, antenna tilting, optimization of network and drive test are undertaken on a continuous basis to improve the mobile services. In 83 cases, where the base station emissions were found to be exceeding the prescribed radiation limits, corrective measures have been taken.

(b) Nil, in view of (a) above

(c) Madam. The weaker signals from mobile tower results in higher Transmission power from handsets and subscribers are exposed to more Radio Frequency (R.F) from handset as its being closure to human body. The Department has issued precautionary guidelines for mobile users “If the radio signal is weak, a mobile phone will increase its transmission power. Find a strong signal and avoid movement-use phone where reception is good” and published in National & Regional News papers placed at Annexure-A. Also available on DoT web site.

(d) to (f): For mobile handsets, Department of Telecommunications has issued instructions Vide O.M. dated 25th January,2012 copy placed at Annexure-B and subsequent clarification vide O.M. dated 17th August 2012, for compliance of the following SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) limit copy placed at Annexure-C: (i) SAR level of the mobile handset shall be limited to 1.6Watt/Kg, averaged over mass of 1gram of human tissue. (ii) All the new design of mobile handsets shall comply with the SAR value of 1.6Watt/Kg, averaged over mass of 1gram of human tissue w.e.f. 1st September, 2012. However, the mobile handsets with existing designs which are compliant with 2.0W/Kg averaged over 10 gram tissue, may continue to co-exist up to 31st August 2013. (iii) From 1st September, 2013, only the mobile handsets with revised SAR value of 1.6 W/Kg would be permitted to be manufactured or imported in for domestic market. Instructions, inter-alia, issued for inclusion of safety measures are as follows: (i) SAR value to be displayed on the handset like International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) display. (ii) All the handsets sold in India shall support hands free operation.

(iii) Mobile handsets manufactured and sold in India or imported from other countries shall be checked for compliance of SAR limits. Self declaration of manufacturers for conformity to SAR level of mobile handsets and testing in ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) accredited labs shall continue to be enforced. (iv) Manufacturer’s booklet shall contain details of safety precautions. Telecom Engineering Centre New Delhi has established a state of art SAR lab for measurement of SAR of mobile hand sets.

GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLATION OF TOWERS 6th March 2013

LSQ*127

SHRI LAXMAN TUDU SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) the norms/guidelines laid down for installation of mobile towers;

(b) whether a large number of mobile towers are installed near residential areas, public buildings, schools, etc.;

(c) if so, the details of such towers, State/UT/Company-wise and the steps taken by the Government to remove these towers from such areas and also the action taken against the telecom operators for violation of norms in installation of such towers;

(d) whether the Government has the records of the mobile towers installed without prior clearance from concerned bodies and local authorities in various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) whether any compensation is provided/proposed to be provided to the persons affected by mobile radiation and if so, the details thereof and if not, the measures taken to minimize and neutralize the impact of radiation from mobile towers?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI )

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 127 FOR 6TH MARCH, 2013 REGARDING “GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLATION OF TOWERS ”

(a) As per existing policy for installation of mobile towers, Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issues siting clearance for installation of mobile towers for each and every site from the point of view of interference with other wireless users, aviation hazards and obstruction to any other existing microwave links. The siting clearance is issued without prejudice to applicable bylaws, rules and regulation of local bodies such as State Government/Municipal Corporation/Gram Panchayat etc. Accordingly, before installation of tower, the telecom service provider has to obtain the necessary permission from the respective local bodies such as Municipal Corporation/ Gram Panchayat etc.

Further, DoT has issued a broad guideline for issue of clearances for installation of Mobile Towers and the same has been forwarded to the Chief Secretary of all the States on 23.08.2012.

(b) & (c) As per the broad guidelines issued by DoT regarding installation of mobile towers, no restriction has been imposed on installation of tower on specific buildings such as residential areas, public buildings, schools etc.

However, it has been prescribed in the guideline that there shall be no nearby buildings right in front of the antenna with height comparable to the lowest antenna on tower at a distance threshold as specified below:

Sl No. Number of Building / Structure distance from the Multiple antennas antenna (safe distance) (in meters) 1 2 35 2 4 45 3 6 55 4 8 65 5 10 70 6 12 75

However, some of the State Governments have formulated their own guidelines for grant of permission for installation of mobile towers and have put specific restrictions and prohibitions on installation of mobile towers. The same has been contested in Supreme Court by various Telecom Service Providers.

(d) The record regarding grant of permission for installation of mobile towers etc. is maintained by the local authorities and DoT maintains the record regarding grant of siting clearance to the mobile tower by Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation (SACFA).

(e) There are no conclusive evidence so far on the risk associated with Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) emitted from mobile towers.

However, as a precautionary principle, norms for exposure limit for the Radio Frequency Field (Base Station Emissions) have been reduced to 1/10th of the existing limits prescribed by International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) with effect from 01.09.2012.

After implementation of the above mentioned revised norms for mobile towers, India now has one of the most stringent EMF exposure norms in the world.

RADIATION FROM TOWERS 13th March, 2013

LSQ 2644

SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY SHRI DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI SHRI SYED SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN SHRI A.K.S. VIJAYAN SHRI BHUPENDRA SINGH SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether permissible limit for radiation from mobile towers in India is well above the safe limit;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether over 1.5 lakh cell towers are yet to get radiation certificate; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government against erring service providers?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) & (b) Madam, the permissible limit for radiation from mobile towers in India is 1/10th of the safe limits prescribed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and as such, our standards are tougher than being adopted by many other countries based on ICNIRP.

(c) & (d) Telecom Service Providers submit the compliance to the mobile tower radiation norms by way of submission of self-certificate for each and every Base Transmitting Station (BTS) to the respective Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cell of Department of Telecommunication (DoT). The periodicity of submission of self-certificate is 2 years and the current block of 2 years is ending on 31.03.2013.

RADIATION FROM TOWERS HANDSETS 7th August, 2013

LSQ 641

SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL SHRI D.B. CHANDRE GOWDA SHRI RATAN SINGH SHRI PURNMASI RAM SHRI S. R. JEYADURAL

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether India ranks 2nd in the world in having highest number of mobile phone subscribers;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether mobile towers installation in the country is on the rise and as a result thereof, non-ionizing radiations emitted by these towers is causing health risks and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has issued any instructions/guidelines for prevention of emission of non-ionized radiation from mobile towers and mobile handsets; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken against the telecom service providers and handset manufacturers/importers for non-compliance of the said instructions / guidelines issued by the Government?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) & (b) Madam, as on 31.05.2013, there are 870.20 million mobile phone subscribers in India which is 2nd highest in the world.

(c) The telecom service providers are augmenting their mobile network from time to time which includes installation of additional mobile towers. World Health Organization (WHO), in its Fact Sheet No. 304 of May 2006, has stated that “Considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects. From all evidence accumulated so far, no adverse short- or long-term health effects have been shown to occur from the RF signals produced by base stations”.

(d) & (e) 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 existing limits prescribed by International Commission on Non- Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) with effect from 01.09.2012.

Action has been initiated and demand notices have been issued to the defaulting telecom service providers for imposition of penalty. Further, a revised advisory guideline has been issued on 01.08.2013 to all the State

Government for grant of clearance for installation of mobile towers and the same is also available at DoT website www.dot.gov.in.

In respect of Mobile Handsets, the following directions have been issued to mobile handset manufacturers regarding Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) level:

(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 level 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.

Action against handset manufacturers/importers for non-compliance does not arise in view of (iii) above.

TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT 17th August, 2013

LSQ 1480

SHRI JEETENDRA SINGH BUNDELA SHRI P. C. MOHAN

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has undertaken special communication infrastructure projects for disaster management in the event of any disaster/ calamity;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such projects pending with the Government in the country, State-wise;

(c) the funds allocated for the purpose, project-wise;

(d) whether it is a fact that not a single project has been completed out of sanctioned projects; and

(e) if so, the reasons therefor and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) No, Madam.

(b) to (e) Does not arise in view of (a) above.

RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR TELECOM TOWERS 18th December, 2013

LSQ 2243

SHRI N.S.V. CHITTHAN

SHRI M. KRISHNASWAMY SHRI EKNATH MAHADEO GAIKWAD SHRI ANAND PRAKASH PARANJPE SHRI VIRENDER KASHYAP SHRI RAJAIAH SIRICILLA SHRI KHATGAONKAR PATIL BHASKARRAO BAPURAO

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Department of Telecom has initiated a project on running telecom towers on renewable energy, starting with non-grid areas and made mandatory use of renewable energy particularly solar energy for running all telecom towers in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the steps taken so far in this regard particularly by BSNL and the number of towers so far made functional on renewable/hybrid energy, State and operator-wise;

(d) whether the Government seeks soft loans for green initiative in telecom sector from Asian Development Bank (ADB); and

(e) if so, the details and the present status thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) & (b) Madam, DoT undertook 20 Pilot projects in USOF Ph.-I sites using Green Energy [Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) & SPV-wind hybrid] to examine the Technical feasibility and financial viability with support from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).

On the basis of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommendations dated 12.04.2011 “An approach towards Green Telecom”, DOT issued directions for greening of the telecom sector in January 2012.

The Government issued directions for implementation of Green Energy Technologies in Telecom Sector; At least 50% of all rural towers and 20% of the urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power (Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) + Grid power) by 2015; while 75% of rural towers and 33% of urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power by 2020.

These directions were for Renewable Energy Technologies, not particularly for solar energy. The targets were specified on overall basis, without differentiating on grid/ non-grid sites.

(c) The no. of towers made functional on Renewable/hybrid energy State wise by BSNL is enclosed as per Annexure ‘A’. Around 2517 RET projects have been executed by other Telecom operators and the State wise details is not available.

(d) No, Madam.

(e) Nil in view of (d) above.

Annexure LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2243 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TH DECEMBER, 2013

Annexure A

BSNL Telecom Towers working on Renewable /Hybrid Energy – State-wise details

S.No. State No. of Towers No. of Towers Total Towers powered with powered with Solar Hybrid

1 Bihar 01 00 01 2 Chhatisgarh 01 00 01 3 Gujarat 00 01 01 4 Haryana 06 00 06 5 Himachal Pradesh 18 00 18 6 J&K 16 00 16 7 Jharkhand 01 00 01 8 Karnataka 03 01 04 9 Kerala 05 00 05 10 Punjab 04 00 04 11 Maharashtra 02 01 03 12 Rajasthan 05 00 05 13 Sikkim 02 00 02 14 Tamilnadu 03 01 04 15 North East 19 00 19 16 Orissa 00 01 01 17 West Bengal 01 00 01 18 UP(West) 05 00 05 19 Uttarakhand 26 00 26 Total 118 05 123

RADIATION FROM MOBILE TOWERS 5th February, 2014

LSQ *218

SHRI HARIBHAU MADHAV JAWALE

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the radiation emission level of cell phone towers in the country is very high as compared to the international standards;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to address the issue;

(c) whether the Government proposes to regulate import of mobile handsets and issue guidelines to make it mandatory to display the Specific Absorption Rate on mobile sets; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 218 FOR 5TH FEBRUARY, 2014 REGARDING “RADIATION FROM MOBILE TOWERS”.

(a) & (b) Madam, World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that “National authorities should adopt international standards to protect their citizens against adverse levels of RF fields. They should restrict access to areas where exposure limits may be exceeded.” WHO has referred to the International Commission on Non- lionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) which has prescribed the levels limiting Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) emission from Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) as safe for general public. Department of Telecommunications adopted the EMF radiation limits prescribed by ICNIRP in 2008 which was further reduced to 1/10th of the safe limit prescribed by ICNIRP with effect from 01.09.2012. All telecom service providers have to comply with these prescribed limits of EMF radiation from mobile towers.

(c) & (d) Instructions regarding display of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values on mobile handsets have been issued which, inter-alia, include:

(i) Mobile handsets manufactured and sold in India or imported from other countries shall be checked for compliance of applicable SAR limits.

(ii) SAR level for mobile handsets shall be limited to 1.6 Watt/Kg, averaged over a mass of 1 gram of human tissue.

(iii) SAR value is to be displayed on the handset similar to display of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

CARBON CREDIT POLICY FOR TELECOM FIRMS 5th February, 2014

LSQ 2356

SHRI EKNATH MAHADEO GAIKWAD SHRI SADASHIVRAO DADOBA MANDLIK SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI SHRI N.S.V. CHITTHAN

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government is promoting the use of renewable energy in telecom sector;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the directives issued by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether the Government proposes to evolve a carbon credit policy for mobile phone companies in addition to evaluating the techno commercial feasibility of powering telecom towers with green or renewable energy and has appointed Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC) for the purpose and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether PwC has submitted its report to the Government and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and

(e) if not, the time by which the report is likely to be submitted by PwC to the Government?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) Yes, Madam.

(b) Govt. issued the following directives on 23.01.2012 for use of RET in Telecom sector:

(i) At least 50% of all rural towers and 20% of the urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power (Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) + Grid power) by 2015; while 75% of rural towers and 33% of urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power by 2020.

(ii) Service providers should evolve a ‘Carbon Credit Policy’ in line with the carbon credit norms with the ultimate objective of achieving a maximum of 50% over the carbon footprint levels of the Base Year in rural areas and achieving a maximum of 66% over the carbon footprint levels of the Base Year in urban areas by the year 2020. The base year for calculating all existing carbon footprints would be 2011, with an implementation period of one year. Hence the first year of carbon reduction would be the year 2012.

(iii) Based on the details of footprints declared by all service providers, service providers should aim at Carbon emission reduction targets for the mobile network at 5% by the year 2012-2013, 8% by the year 2014-2015, 12% by the year 2016-2017 and 17% by the year 2018-2019.

(iv) All service providers should declare to TRAI, the carbon footprint of their network operations in the format prescribed by the TRAI. This declaration should be undertaken after adopting the formulae and procedures prescribed by TRAI. The declaration of the carbon footprints should be done twice in a year i.e. half yearly report for the period ending September to be submitted by 15th of November and succeeding half yearly report for the period ending March to be submitted by 15th of May each year.

(c) No and Govt. has not appointed Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) for the purpose.

(d) Nil in view of (c) above.

(e) Nil in view of (c) above.

NORMS FOR INSTALLATION OF MOBILE TOWERS 12th February, 2014

LSQ 3385

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB SHRI GOWDAR MALLIKARJUNAPPA SIDDESWARA SHRI DR

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) the number of mobile telephone towers installed in the country, State, circle and company-wise including BSNL;

(b) the norms and guidelines set up by the Government for installation of tower near public places and the radiation limit fixed for the same;

(c) whether the cases of violation of the said norms by service providers have come to the notice of the Government during each of the last three years and the current year;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken and penalty imposed on the erring service providers, State-wise and company-wise; and

(e) the other corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government to keep a check on erring service providers?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) Madam, the current number of Base Transmitting Stations (mobile towers) set up by telecom companies including BSNL in the country as on 30.09.2013, Licence Service Area-wise and Telecom Service Provider wise is enclosed as Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

(b) For providing the mobile services in the country, the telecom service providers have to establish towers and install Base Transmitting Stations (BTS), at suitable locations, as per their Radio Frequency (RF) network planning for proper coverage of the area. Prior to installation of mobile towers, the telecom service providers have to obtain site clearance from Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation (SACFA) of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for every site from the point of view of interference with other wireless users, aviation hazards and obstruction to any other existing microwave links. The telecom service providers have also to obtain necessary clearances from concerned local authorities such as municipal corporation, gram panchayat etc before installation of tower.

Further, DoT has issued advisory guideline for State Governments for issue of clearances for installation of Mobile Towers which are effective from 01.08.2013.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that “National authorities should adopt international standards to protect their citizens against adverse levels of RF fields. They should restrict access to areas where exposure limits may be exceeded.” WHO has referred to the International Commission on Non-lionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) which has prescribed the levels limiting Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) emission from Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) as safe for general public. Department of Telecommunications adopted the EMF radiation limits prescribed by ICNIRP in 2008 which was further reduced to 1/10th of the safe limit prescribed by ICNIRP with effect from 01.09.2012. All telecom service providers have to comply with these prescribed limits of EMF radiation from mobile towers.

(c) to (e) DoT, has issued instructions to all Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS)/ Unified Access Service (UAS) licensees for compliance of the above reference limits/ levels by way of submission of self certification of their Base Transmitting Station (BTS) for meeting the Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) radiations norms to relevant Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cells of DoT.

The TERM Cell tests up to 10% of BTS sites randomly. Additionally, the BTS sites against which there are public complaints are also being tested by TERM Cell. If a site fails to meet the Electro Magnetic Radiation criterion, there is a provision of levy of a penalty of Rs. 10 lakh per BTS.

As on 31.12.2013, approximately one lac four thousand BTSs have been tested by the TERM Cells since 16.11.2010, out of which, 160 BTSs have been found to be exceeding DoT norms of EMF radiation exposure. In case of non compliance of EMF radiation norms namely cases of exceeding the radiation level beyond DoT limit, display of signage at BTS sites and non-submission or delayed submission of BTS EMF self-certificates, penalty is imposed on Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and they have to take suitable corrective action to comply to the EMF radiation norms. The details of penalty imposed on account of violation of EMF radiation norms, License Service Area (LSA) wise and TSP wise is enclosed as Annexure-III & Annexure-IV respectively.

LOK SABHA ANNEXURED UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3385 DATED 12.02.2014

Annexure-I

Licensed Service Area wise details of BTSs as on 31.12.2013

Sl. No. Name of License Service Area Total BTSs as on 31.12.2013 A C E 1 Andhra Pradesh 63697 2 Assam 14689 3 Bihar 44105 4 Chennai 20580 5 Delhi 34062

6 Gujarat 47761 7 Haryana 18608 8 HP 7381 9 J & K 11626 10 Karnataka 57306 11 Kerala 34327 12 Kolkata 19983 13 Maharashtra 66475 14 MP 47409 15 26905 16 North East 9010 17 Orissa 21376 18 Punjab 27971 19 Rajasthan 36225 20 Tamil Nadu 46799 21 Uttar Pradesh (East) 51112 22 Uttar Pradesh (West) 39207 23 West Bengal 28517 Grand Total 775131

Annexure-II

Telecom Service Provider wise details of BTSs as on 31.12.2013

Total BTSs as on date i.e. as on Sl. No. Name of Telecom Service Provider 31.12.2013 1 BSNL 107544 2 Reliance 92248 3 Videocon 4826 4 Vodafone 130562 5 AIRCEL/DISHNET 50766 6 Airtel/BHL 166847 7 Etisalat/Allianz 1428 8 Idea/ABTL 114277 9 Loop 2047 10 MTNL 3660 11 QTL/HFCL 2032 12 SPICE Telecom 6561 13 SSTL (MTS) 8145 14 STEL 33 15 TTSL/TTML 64029 16 Uninor/Telewings 19854 17 Wireless Business Services Private Limited 272 Grand Total 775131

Annexure –III

Details of penalty imposed on account of violation of EMF radiation norms, License Service Area (LSA) wise (Period from 16.11.2010 to 31.12.2013)

Penalty Imposed on account of violation of EMF Sl. No. Name of LSA radiation norms A C 1 Andhra Pradesh Rs. 3,75,15,000.00

2 Assam Rs. 89,17,55,000.00 3 Bihar Rs. 1,61,24,65,000.00 4 Chennai Rs. 13,35,000.00 5 Delhi Rs. 1,80,96,10,000.00 6 Gujarat Rs. 83,35,00,000.00 7 Haryana Rs. 16,25,45,000.00 8 HP Rs. 52,00,00,000.00 9 Jammu & Kashmir Rs. 1,65,00,000.00 10 Karnataka Rs. 47,52,70,000.00 11 Kolkata Rs. 17,40,90,000.00 12 Maharashtra Rs. 3,43,95,00,000.00 13 Mumbai Rs. 6,35,00,000.00 14 North East Rs. 37,20,00,000.00 15 Punjab Rs. 60,70,00,000.00 16 Rajasthan Rs. 7,43,47,10,000.00 18 Uttar Pradesh (East) Rs. 8,25,00,000.00 19 Uttar Pradesh (West) Rs. 81,55,00,000.00 20 West Bengal Rs. 42,95,00,000.00 Grand Total Rs. 19,77,87,95,000.00

Annexure –IV

Details of penalty imposed on account of violation of EMF radiation norms, Telecom Service Provider wise (Period from 16.11.2010 to 31.12.2013)

Penalty Imposed on account of violation of Sl. No. Name of the Operator (Generalised) EMF radiation norms A E 1 BSNL Rs. 2,92,75,85,000.00 2 Reliance Rs. 3,05,77,55,000.00 3 Uninor Rs. 82,75,25,000.00 4 Videocon Rs. 50,65,00,000.00 5 Vodafone Rs. 2,35,59,65,000.00 6 AIRCEL/DISHNET Rs. 1,60,29,60,000.00 7 Airtel/BHL Rs. 3,52,61,65,000.00 8 Etisalat/Allianz Rs. 4,45,00,000.00 9 Idea/ABTL Rs. 2,08,01,90,000.00 10 Loop Rs. 1,35,00,000.00 11 MTNL Rs. 3,65,00,000.00 12 QTL/HFCL Rs. 10,20,00,000.00 13 SPICE Telecom Rs. 35,15,000.00 14 SSTL (MTS) Rs. 68,80,90,000.00 15 STEL Rs. 16,15,00,000.00 16 TTSL/TTML Rs. 1,84,45,45,000.00 Grand Total Rs. 19,77,87,95,000.00

IT RESEARCH ACADEMY 19th February, 2014

LSQ 4220

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR MAJHI

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has setup any Information Technology Research Academy (ITRA) in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof, location-wise and the role and the achievements of these Academy / Academies;

(c) whether Mobile Computing, Networking and Applications (ITRA-Mobile) and IT based, innovations in Sustainability of Water Resources (ITRA-Water) have been launched by the Government in the recent past;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the salient features of these projects and

(e) the funds allocated and released for the same along with the present status of each of them?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a): Yes. Sir.

(b): Information Technology Research Academy (ITRA) is setup as National programme to help build a national resource for advancing the quantity and quality of R&D in Information Technology and Electronics (ICTE, or IT for short) and its applications in IT and related institutions across the country. This will be accomplished by:

(i) Building R&D Groups in IT; (ii) Networking the Groups and connecting them to industry and society; (iii) Producing high quality PhDs for industry, R&D labs and Academic Institutions; (iv) Enabling innovation in IT; (v) Enhancing societal problem solving skills

The enhanced IT R&D capacity created through ITRA will impact the overall ecosystem of Information Technology, to be reflected in the numbers of research groups and labs created, new research areas initiated, scale of PhD graduations, new curricula, innovative solutions to industrial and societal problems, strong linkages with R&D groups, etc.

The ITRA programme has been conceived by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and its implementation has been entrusted to Media Lab Asia, a section 25 not for profit organization of DeitY. Media Lab Asia operates out of its offices in Mumbai and New Delhi.

(c): Yes, Sir.

(d): Nine (09) team R&D projects have been taken up in `Mobile Computing, Networking and Applications (ITRA- Mobile)` across 30 institutes. These projects are on the themes of (i) Context aware sensing, inference and actuation in Energy and Health Care; (ii) Post-Disaster Situation Analysis and Resource Management; (iii) Remote Healthcare Services; (iv) De-congesting India`s transportation network; (v) Communication Assisted Road Transportation Systems; (vi) Voice and Gesture based virtual assistant; (vii) Mobile Broadband Service Support over Cognitive Radio Networks; (viii) Uncoordinated, secure and energy aware access in Wireless network; (ix) Coastal Region Offshore Communications & Networks.

Five (05) team R&D projects have been taken up in `IT based innovations in Sustainability of Water Resources (ITRA- Water) ` across 23 institutions. These projects are on the themes of (i) Improving Groundwater Levels and Quality through Enhanced Water Use Efficiency in Eastern Indian Agriculture, (ii) Improving ground water levels and quality

(iii) Management of Urban Water Quantity and Quality (iv) Integrated Urban Flood Management in India: Technology-Dnven Solutions (v) Water and Pest/Disease Management

(e): The approved outlay for ITRA is Rs. 148.83 crore out of which Rs. 31.33 crore have been released to Media Lab Asia for ITRA activities. 14 team proposals have been so far initiated in the current financial year 2013-14.