Indians For Guns

NEW DELHI: The process of getting a gun licence may soon get less cumbersome with the home ministry proposing to amend Arms Act rules to cut down the paperwork and ensure grant of licence within a specific time-period.

The government on Thursday put out the draft rules, according to which the number of documents required to be submitted while applying for an arms licence will be reduced from nearly two dozen at present to less than a dozen and the police verification completed between one and three months, depending on the category of arms.

Every weapon will now be issued a licence with a unique identification number, which will make help keep a record of data relating to arms in an electronic format. Arms without a unique identification number (UIN) shall not be considered valid with effect from the October 1, 2015.

Another rule proposed by the government requires individual applicants to undergo a complete arms and ammunition safety training course from an accredited trainer or an accredited shooting club. The training will cover basic arms and ammunition safety and handling, firing techniques and procedures, safe storage techniques and working knowledge of the Arms Act provisions.

As per the rules, on which views from various stakeholders have been invited, obtaining gun licence would be made simpler for those who face grave and imminent threat to their lives due to the nature of duties performed by them and have made themselves targets of militants or terrorists, and for MPs, MLAs and others who are closely or actively associated with anti-militant, anti-terrorist or anti-extremist programmes and policies of the government.(a non-existent group!)

goodboy_mentor wrote:Just read around first 25 pages, it has more definitions, it has more restrictions than present Arms Rules. Will be putting up my comments. Request every one to carefully read each and every point or rule of that document and think about how it is unreasonable and possible problems it may create in future. Everyone be prepared how to make sure that the rules in present form do not get passed in Rajya Sabha.

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to introduce safety measures while liberalising gun laws. Changes proposed to the Arms Act Rules,1962, forbid one to point a firearm at anyone without "good reason." A gun cannot be brandished in a public place but concealed in a holster. There will also be a ban on firing in the air at marriages, fairs and public events. Such firing has led to many deaths in rural and semi-urban areas. Failure to abide by the guidelines will lead to cancellation of weapon licence.

However,certain change of provisions is likely to find favour with businessmen and professionals who undertake frequent trips across India. Union Ministers, MPs and bureaucrats of all-India service will be considered for an all-India validity licence, than a state-specific one, so they can carry guns everywhere legitimately.

ET was the first to report, on January 14, that the government would amend the more than half-a century-old rules to make obtaining gun licences simpler and faster by introducing a deadline for deciding on the applications and reducing the number of application forms. The draft rules, in public domain, fulfill the aim with conditions.

"This is a counter-check to ensure people handle licenced arms responsibly," a top home ministry official told ET. So in the application form for obtaining a gun license, the "restrictions" on carrying a firearm in a public place have been spelt out. "No person may carry a fire arm in a public place unless the firearm is carried in a holster or similar holder designed, manufactured or adapted for the carrying of a handgun," the draft rules now say.

mbsolan wrote:How much increase in all fees can be justified?