Latest news with #ArmsRules
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Assam's special arms licence scheme: A strategic fusion of law, identity & security
Guwahati: Assam's special arms licence scheme for indigenous residents is not a new law, but a targeted administrative restructuring of the existing licensing process under the Indian Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016. The scheme restricted to indigenous and Indian citizens residing in "vulnerable and remote" areas, especially where demographic shifts have reduced them to minorities, blends law and governance, making it one of the most politically nuanced uses of the Arms Act in recent memory. Crucially, the scheme is set to benefit populations who feel marginalised or at risk due to recent moves on illegal infiltration and land rights — core themes that have animated much of Assam's contemporary politics. Unlike the national policy, which is threat-based or profession-based, Assam's scheme is demography-driven. Assam has explicitly linked the scheme to concerns over "demographic invasion", where original inhabitants are being outnumbered or displaced. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's scheme does not alter the legal foundation of arms licencing in India. Instead, it reinterprets and repurposes Form III of the national arms license policy to address regional vulnerabilities and identity politics. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo By anchoring the scheme in existing law, but tailoring its execution to indigenous anxieties, Sarma has created a politically potent tool that blends security policy with cultural preservation. The national policy is accessed through the centralised National Database of Arms Licenses-Arms License Issuance System (NDAL-ALIS) portal with uniform procedures, the Assam scheme through Sewa Setu portal is tailored for indigenous applicants, with simplified access and district-level verification. The use of the Sewa Setu portal, district-level scrutiny, and inclusion of intelligence verification marks a significant operational shift from the standard NDAL process. It reflects a state-specific customisation of a central framework. Assam, a state long marked by its ethnic diversity and complex demographic history, faces a pronounced demographic transformation. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constitute 34% of the state's population, with approximately 31% classified as migrants and only 3% being indigenous Assamese Muslims. Sarma has repeatedly warned of the demographic "invasion", highlighting that native Assamese and Hindus are at risk of becoming a minority within the next decade if current trends continue. Districts such as Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon, and South Salmara-Mankachar have experienced marked changes, with indigenous communities increasingly feeling insecure and reduced to minorities in their ancestral lands. The arms licence initiative also appears as a part of a broader BJP playbook — combining targeted welfare, muscular nationalism, and appeals to local identity. The scheme taps directly into the insecurities of indigenous populations, legitimising the demand for self-defence as a political right, while projecting the govt as a defender of "native" interests. Politically, the move plays well among Assam's rural frontier populations — the sites of real and perceived contestation over land, identity, and citizenship. Strategically, it reinforces the message that the BJP, under Sarma's leadership, stands as a bulwark against demographic dilution, illegal immigration, and insecurity. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
Assam Rolls Out Arms Licence Portal: What Are The Gun Laws In India
The Assam government has launched a portal where indigenous communities in the state's sensitive and remote regions can apply for licences to possess arms. The measure aims to boost the security of 'original inhabitants or indigenous Indian citizens' in vulnerable border areas. Under the scheme, applications will undergo a strict multi-layered scrutiny before they can own guns. Approved in May, the Cabinet cleared arms licences for border and remote area residents facing security threats. Can You Get A Gun Licence In India? The Arms Act, 1959, in India regulates the possession, sale, and use of firearms and ammunition. Here are the statutory foundations for obtaining a licence: Sections 3 and 4 establish the requirement for a licence to acquire or possess firearms and ammunition. Section 13 specifically entrusts licensing authorities (typically the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police) with granting licences. Sections 15-17 govern the duration, renewal, and authority to vary, suspend, or revoke licences. Sections 14-16 cover grounds for refusal, fees, and administrative procedures. The Arms Rules, 2016, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), explain how the Arms Act, 1959, works. They give details on who can get a gun licence, what documents are needed, how to apply or renew, and which weapons are allowed or banned. Who Can Apply For A Gun Licence? The Ministry of Home Affairs says: Manufacturers: Indian companies incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens (with specific conditions for FDI beyond 49%). Individuals: Citizens, sportspersons, and institutions for fresh licences (Forms II, III, IV) or renewals. Dealers: Individuals or firms applying for dealer licences (Forms VIII & VIII A). As per Arms Rules, 2016 (Rule 20(3)), licence for permissible arms/ammunition may be given to: Persons with genuine need to protect life/property due to job, business, or other reasons. Dedicated sports shooters active in a licensed shooting club for at least two years. Serving or ex-members of Defence, CAPF, or State Police with a genuine need for protection. Documents Required For A Gun Licence Founding company documents (MoA, AoA, Certificate of Registration, CIN, PAN, address proof). Director details: DIN, ID proof (Aadhaar/Passport/Voter ID/PAN), residence proof, photographs. Latest balance sheet, net-worth certificate, project outlay and financing plan (certified by CA). Board resolution authorising application and responsible person's details. Details of arms/ammunition to be manufactured or proof-tested. Proof of land, utilities, and site readiness for manufacturing/proof-testing facility. Applications are submitted in prescribed forms via the National Database of Arms Licences (NDAL) online portal, and processed by the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police as the licensing authority. Fees Structure Form I (licence for certain firearms)- Rs 2000 grant, Rs 1000 yearly renewal, Rs 3000 for three years. Form II (similar licence) - Rs 1000 grant, Rs 1000 yearly renewal, Rs 3000 for three years. Forms III, IV, V (covers most firearms) - Most firearms Rs 1000 grant, Rs 500 yearly renewal, Rs 1500 for three years; semi-auto/restricted rifles Rs 1000 grant, Rs 1000 yearly renewal, Rs 3000 for three years; swords/other category V weapons Rs 500 grant, Rs 100 yearly renewal, Rs 300 for three years. Licence Is Given For For smooth-bore guns with a barrel length of not less than 20 inches for protection, sport, or crop protection. For a loading gun for crop protection (other smooth bore allowed if needed). For .22 bore rifle or air rifle for target practice (must be member of a licenced/recognised rifle club). For other firearms if there is a good reason.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
All about Assam's new arms license portal for ‘indigenous citizens' in ‘vulnerable areas'
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced the launch of an online portal through which 'indigenous citizens' living in 'vulnerable and remote areas' can apply for arms licenses. Here's all you need to know. In May, the Assam cabinet had approved a 'Special Scheme for Grant of Arms Licenses to Original Inhabitants and Indigenous Indian Citizens in Vulnerable and Remote Areas of Assam' with the rationale that possession of firearms would enable 'indigenous citizens' to protect themselves from 'demographic and security challenges.' On Thursday, during the launch of the new portal, Sarma reiterated the government's rationale to ease the access to arms in certain parts of the state. 'If I live near the India-Bangladesh border or an inter-state boundary area, or I live in a vulnerable area where my community's population is very small…X community is 90-95% of the population and Y is 5%, and culturally, economically, historically, the communities have had tensions. Then a small incident can also trigger a situation where the 95% community can attack the 5% community, burn their houses, and various incidents can happen. 'A police station will have 6-12 constables for reinforcements to come from the district headquarters, it can take 2-3 hours. In those 2-3 hours, I will have to defend myself. And if people know that this person or house possesses a firearm, that itself will act as a deterrent,' he said. He called the new portal an effort to make citizens 'first responders' in law-and-order situations in remote areas. Who all are eligible to apply for this? The eligibility criteria for the grant of licenses through this portal are that the applicant must be 'an indigenous citizen from Assam,' must be at least 21 years old, must reside in a 'vulnerable and remote area,' must not have a criminal background or pending cases, must be 'physically and mentally fit,' and must have a training certificate under the Arms Rules, 2016. On the portal, which is part of the Assam government's citizen digital services portal Sewa Setu, applicants need to attest to an eligibility declaration that they are an 'original inhabitant' and that 'I reside in a vulnerable or remote area and genuinely perceive a threat to my life and safety due to regional vulnerabilities.' The portal requires an applicant to specify their identity, providing the broad headings of Scheduled Tribe (Plain), Scheduled Tribe (Hill), Scheduled Caste, Hill Tribes in Plains, Plain Tribe in Hills, Other Backward Classes or Others, and lists the different communities under each heading. Among other things, they also need to justify their 'need for a licence.' What does the process entail? Applicants will need to attest that they have no criminal background or pending case against them, and that they have a safe space to store a firearm. Among the documents they will need to provide digitally are proof of date of birth, identity, residence and caste certificates, firearms training certificate, an undertaking on safe use and storage of arms, medical certificates about their mental health and physical fitness, and Aadhaar card. Sarma said that the government in various districts will create a list of 'accredited' people who can provide training to applicants, giving instances of retired police officers and Army officers. An arms licence issued through this process will be valid for a period of five years. The acquisition of arms in India is governed by Arms Rules, 2016 framed under the Arms Act, 1959. 'No person shall acquire, have in his possession, or carry any firearm or ammunition unless he holds in his behalf a licence issued in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder,' the 1959 Act says. Schedule I of the Arms Rules provides a list of prohibited, restricted and permitted arms and ammunition. Those in the prohibited and restricted categories are difficult, if not impossible, to acquire legally, and licenses in for such arms and ammunition are directly governed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Licenses for arms and ammunition in the permissible category, however, are governed by State governments. As such, rules for obtaining such arms can differ widely from state to state, and State governments have the authority to reframe license requirements as long as their rules do not run afoul of the Centre's Arms Rules.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
DM order denying arms licence to sportsperson set aside by HC
Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has set aside Deoria district magistrate's order dated May 3, whereby he had denied arms licence to sportsperson Gaurav Gupta , who had required it for training and competition purpose. In the decision dated Jun 2, Justice Piyush Agrawal also remanded the matter to Deoria district magistrate, for deciding afresh application of the petitioner for grant of arm licence for sports training and competitions by passing a reasoned and speaking order, after giving due opportunity to the petitioner to cure the defect, if any, as well as to provide all documentary evidence/material, as required under the aforesaid rules, within a period of 15 days from date of production of certified copy of the order. Through the present writ petition, the petitioner, a sportsman, assailed the order dated May 3, passed by Deoria district magistrate, whereby his application for arms licence was rejected. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that in pursuance to the order dated Feb 27 of this court, the licensing authority had rejected the application of the petitioner for grant of arm licence by holding some defects in the sports certificate attached by him. The certificate has been issued to the petitioner as a junior shooter and since the petitioner's category of shooting was not defined well and no affidavit with regard to the same had been filed, as per Arms Rules, 2016, the arms licence to the petitioner could not be granted. Counsel for petitioner further submitted that with regard to the said defect, if any, no opportunity was given to the petitioner to cure the same. He further submitted that since the petitioner had to participate in the upcoming pre-Uttar Pradesh state shooting championship competition, to be held in beginning of July, the petitioner shall be disqualified from participating in absence of a fire-arm licence. He also stated that the above said ground on which the application of the petitioner had been rejected, could be cured. On the other hand, state govt's counsel supported the DM's order, which was under challenge, submitting that since the petitioner had failed to provide necessary documentary evidence in support of his application, the application of the petitioner had rightly been rejected. He submitted that in the said application for grant of arms licence, the petitioner had not disclosed details as required under the Arms Rules, 2016. After hearing the parties, perusal of the said application showed that no column had been framed as per aforesaid rules as to the detailed information/evidence of the petitioner as a 'Junior Shooter'. Further, the impugned order (the order under challenge) did not refer to any opportunity being granted to the petitioner to cure the defect as pointed out in the impugned order. "In view of peculiar facts and circumstances of the case as stated, the impugned order dated May 3, cannot be justified in the eyes of law and the same is hereby set aside," the court added.
The Hindu
01-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Wrong call: On Assam and arming civilians
The decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Assam government to issue arms licences to 'eligible' indigenous communities in remote and vulnerable areas in the State is fraught with danger. The State government seems to suggest that indigenous communities living in the border areas abutting Bangladesh are vulnerable and that armed licences would be a deterrent and improve their personal safety and confidence. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also insisted that these grants would not be for people near inter-State borders in Assam. But these caveats still do not take away from the fact that arming specific civilian groups is liable to be rampantly misused for acts such as vigilantism and inter-community rivalry, as the lines between law enforcement — which carries legal authority and has a monopoly over armed instruments — and private citizens are blurred. In a State that has been beset with insurgent violence and where the threat from groups such as the ULFA (Independent) remains, introducing more arms into civilian hands risks propagating further violence and arms proliferation rather than ensuring enhanced security. Instead of arming civilians, ostensibly for self-defence — a move akin to abdicating its core responsibility — the State government has the clear alternative of enhancing its own law enforcement and security presence in these 'vulnerable areas'. It is well understood that in modern states, the monopoly over instruments of violence will remain with the government and its law enforcement agencies. In India, arms licences are issued in a restricted manner as a delegated and a limited right to self-preservation to select individuals through a stringent licensing process under the Arms Act, 1959 and the Arms Rules, 2016. These rules under the law preclude the provision of such licences to larger, identified groups — where identification itself could be fraught with the risk of conflicts — as they not only present administrative challenges but also make it difficult for the government to license, monitor and recover firearms as the law requires it to. Arming civilian groups, even with an intention to do so with some stringent implementation, runs the risks of having these weapons entering grey markets and falling into the wrong hands, besides designating those groups with an authority that could backfire on the state. This was evident when security forces in Chhattisgarh arming civilian groups for protection against the Maoist threat — in the Salwa Judum campaign in the late 2000s — led to severe human rights violations and lawlessness, before the Supreme Court of India intervened to deem the policy to be illegal. Considering these problems, Assam must reverse its decision.
