Wary India will wait for ‘non-intrusive’ scanners
Wary of any controversy, the civil aviation ministry has decided to wait for a new generation of “non-intrusive” body scanners — which will be tested at airports across the United States from January 2011 — before taking a decision on introduction of these at airports in India.
The ministry is in touch with America’s Transportation Security Administration for feedback on the new type of body scanners, and for results of the tests to be carried out in the US. Use of the existing full body scanners have led to controversies wherever they have been deployed across the world as passengers regard the images generated by them as a gross violation of their privacy.
“The new generation of body scanners will not reveal the body shape as long as the passenger is not carrying any explosives. It is non-intrusive and the government is awaiting the results of tests that will be carried out in the US in January. We are looking at the introduction of these advanced body scanners at Indian airports,” civil aviation ministry sources told this newspaper.
In fact, a full body scanner had earlier been deployed at one of the terminals at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport but only on a trial basis, but that was later removed. Even when it was in use on a trial basis, passengers did not have to mandatorily undergo a scan by this machine.
Only those passengers who volunteered were screened by it.
The Indian government has already made it clear that while full body scanners will definitely be introduced at Indian airports, only those which are “non-intrusive” will be installed so that privacy concerns are respected. The government has already determined that the introduction of such scanners in a phased manner are vitally needed at Indian airports in view of the rising terror threats.
The ministry is also likely to seek certification for any new body scanner which it will introduce from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to ensure that there are no harmful effects due to any radiation.
Minister of state for civil aviation Praful Patel had said earlier that the government would “keep privacy in mind” and added that body scanners would be introduced on a “conservative basis” and in keeping with global “best practices” in this regard.
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