Published Paper Details:

In a well - organised society, the responsibility for efficiently managing the nation, fostering societal development, and ensuring citizens have essential resources for survival lies with the State and the Government. Paramount tasks of the State include upholding law and order, preventing crimes, and safeguarding citizens from both internal and external threats. This is achieved through defence forces like the army and law enforcement agencies such as the police, which are authorised to use lethal force and weapons when necessary. These forces strategically, offensively, and tactically stay ahead of potential adversaries in their various operations. The term 'weapon' encompasses items such as guns, firearms, armaments, ammunition, and other defence equipment designed to cause destruction, damage, pain, or harm. These tools are typically associated with warfare, conflicts, crimes, defence, law enforcement, and hunting, among other purposes. Due to the State's responsibility for maintaining law and order, citizens are generally restricted from owning or possessing a firearm for any purpose. Laws in most countries regulate matters such as ownership, sale, manufacturing, transfer, modification, and use of firearms by civilians. These laws are often stringent to prevent violent crimes, shootings, murders, suicides, and, most importantly, to curb armed rebellions, insurgencies, and terrorist activities within the state. India, for instance, has stringent regulations regarding firearms governed by The Arms Act, 1959, supplemented by The Arms Rules, 2016. This legislation prohibits the sale, manufacture, possession, acquisition, import, export, and transport of firearms and ammunition without a licence. The current Arms Act, 1959, traces its origin back to The Indian Arms Act, 1878, enacted during British Rule after the Revolt of 1857. Thus, this paper aims to outline the types of guns that are illegal or prohibited to be acquired, the eligibility criteria to obtain a licence, the steps involved in acquiring a firearms licence, when could a licence be revoked or cancelled, what are the penalties for owning a firearm without licence, what is the current position of laws and a way ahead from the current scenario.