Havana Syndrome

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Havana Syndrome
• What is Havana Syndrome?
• Background:
• What are the causes of Havana Syndrome?
• Havana Syndrome in India
• What are microwave weapons?

Why in news?

• 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 Syndrome

What is 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.

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Image Caption: Symptoms of Havana Syndrome

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Background:

• 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”.

What are the 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.

What are 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”.

Q1) What is the geographical location of Havana?

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.

Q2) What are Microwaves?

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.

Source: Centre to look into ‘Havana Syndrome’: What it means and the term’s history | Hindustan Times | Indian Express