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Updated December 9th, 2019 at 20:06 IST

Lok Sabha passes Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019; Here's what it means

The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to amend the six-decade-old Arms Act, 1959 to "effectively curb crimes committed by using illegal firearms" in India.

Reported by: Aishwaria Sonavane
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The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 9, after its first introduction by Home Minister Amit Shah on November 29. The Bill seeks to amend the six-decade-old Arms Act, 1959 to "effectively curb crimes committed by using illegal firearms." As per the Bill, it seeks to decrease the number of licensed arms permitted per individual. It further seeks to increase penalties for certain offenses under the act. 

As per the bill, the government proposes to amend Section 25 (1AA) of Arms Act, 1959, to give punishment from the usual life term of 14 years to "imprisonment" for the remainder of that person's life" for manufacturing, selling, repairing and possessing "prohibited" arms. "There were many discrepancies in the six-decade-old law-making crime control difficult," Home Minister Amit Shah said while introducing the amendment Bill in Lok Sabha. 

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Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019

The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 bans the manufacture,  sale, use, transfer, conversion, testing or proofing of firearms without a license. As per the amendment, even the punishment for offenses under the act has been increased to between seven years and life imprisonment, and a fine. Previously, the punishment for offenses under the act was between three to seven years, along with a fine.  The Bill has further added new offenses including-- forcefully taking a firearm from police or armed forces, using firearms in celebratory gunfire which endangers human life. 

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The Arms (Amendment) Bill makes provision that a person can have two firearms, as against the present norm of three, including those for whom licenses were given on inheritance or heirloom basis. The Bill provides a time period of one year to deposit the excess firearms with the officer-in-charge of the nearest police station or with a licensed firearm dealer as specified. 

The Bill also increases the duration of the validity of a firearm license from three years to five years. The bill was introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishen Reddy. Speaking over the same, Home Minister Amit Shah in his reply on the floor of the House said, "It is very necessary to effectively control arms and ammunition for safety and security, and maintaining law and order in any country."

READ| Arms sales increased nearly 5% worldwide in 2018, says new report

READ| NRAI President asks Amit Shah to exclude rifle shooters from Arms Amendment Bill

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Published December 9th, 2019 at 19:51 IST

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