What does "Havana Syndrome" mean?.
- The Central government has told the Karnataka High Court that it will look into the matter of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India.
- A petitioner had approached the Karnataka High Court requesting a writ of mandamus for an enquiry on Havana Syndrome in India and the prevention of high-frequency microwave transmission in India.
- The petitioner argued that authorities must consider the grievances raised in the petition under Article 350 of the Constitution.
- Article 350 - Every person shall be entitled to submit a representation for the redress of any grievance to any officer or authority of the Union or a State in any of the languages used in the Union or in the State, as the case may be.
- A single-judge bench of the court disposed of the petition on July 27 after the Centre’s counsel agreed to examine the case.
- It directed the Centre to do so within three months.
- Havana is the capital city of Cuba, a country located in the Caribbean region. It is situated on the northern coast of the island of Cuba, and it''s known for its historic architecture, vibrant culture, and rich history.
- Microwaves refer to electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that fall between those of radio waves and infrared radiation, typically ranging from about 1 millimeter to 1 meter. They are a type of non-ionizing radiation, which means they don''t have enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules (remove electrons from them), unlike higher-energy radiation like X-rays or gamma rays.
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Havana Syndrome
- Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by US intelligence and embassy officials in various countries.
- It typically involves symptoms such as
- hearing certain sounds without any outside noise being present;
- nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss and issues with balance.
- In late 2016, US diplomats and other employees stationed in Havana reported feeling ill after hearing strange sounds and experiencing odd physical sensations.
- The symptoms included nausea, severe headaches, fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems, and hearing loss, which have since come to be known as “Havana Syndrome”.
Causes of Havana Syndrome
- No one is entirely sure. Initially, it was speculated to be a sonic attack done by Cuban intelligence agencies.
- Later, the National Academy of Sciences noted in its report that the best explanation for the syndrome would be pulsed, directed microwaves.
- Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than those of visible light but shorter than those of radio waves.
- They fall within the electromagnetic spectrum between radio waves and infrared radiation.
- Microwaves have frequencies ranging from about 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz).
- The report suggested that the victims may have been subjected to high-powered microwaves that either damaged or interfered with the nervous system.
- It is suspected that beams of high-powered microwaves are sent through a special gadget known as “microwave weapon”.
Havana Syndrome in India
- In India, the first such case was reported in September 2021, when a US intelligence officer travelling to New Delhi with CIA director William Burns reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome.
- As of July 2023, the 2021 incident was the only reported occurrence of the syndrome in India.
Microwave weapons
- Microwave weapons are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons.
- It uses beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort.
- A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems.
- China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014.
- The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”.
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