The Home Ministry has recently announced that it will relax guidelines for Arjuna awardees and sportspersons who participate in international and national shooting competitions. The amendment was done to the Arms Act to help shooters who represent India in various competitions.
Arjuna awardees will get exemption on the number of arms to be possessed provided that the award was conferred in shooting, international medallists or renowned shooters can possess up to 12 rifles in caliber. 22, centerfire rifles with a caliber up to 8 mm, including all caliber lower than 8 mm, pistols or revolvers of caliber up to and including 9 mm and shotguns of caliber up to 12 bores.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 41 of the Arms Act, 1959 and in supersession of the notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs, dated August 4, 2014, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby exempts the specified classes of the persons in respect of the arms of the category of a description specified when carried or possessed for their personal use for training or use in competitions, from the operations of the provisions of the Act,” a notification issued by Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Punya Salila Srivastava said.
According to the notification, international championship means the Asian Games, the Asian Shooting Championship, the Asian Women or Asian Junior Shooting Championship, the Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Shooting Championships, the Olympic Games, the World Junior or Senior Shooting Championships and the World Cup in senior as well as junior events.
