The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated a study in Delhi to ascertain whether use of cell phones creates a risk of neurological, cardiological, cancer, ENT and reproductive disorders.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha on investigation into effects of mobile phones on human health, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Sudip Bandhopadhyay said the study will be conducted in Delhi over five years.

Efforts will also be made to measure specific absorption rate, power density wavelength and frequency of Radio Frequency Radiation emitted from various types of cell phones and cell phone towers under this study, said the Minister.
 
The study follows recent classification of radiofrequency electro-magnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
 
The Minister admitted that the WHO's body had recently come out with a statement saying mobile phones could have adverse effects on the health of humans.

The IARC has classified radiofrequency electro-magnetic fields as possibly cancinogenic to humans, based on an increased risk of gliaoma, a malignant type of brain cancer associated with wireless phone use.

The Minister said that to date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use and WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2012. Use of mobile phones across the world is very high and in India alone there are over 800 million subscribers.