In the new revised Arms Rules, the Home Ministry has permitted manufacturers to increase their yearly output of “firearms or ammunition or calibre wise adjustment” of their licensed capacity by notifying the licensing body and state governments within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year.
According to the new rules, known as the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2022, which were announced by the Home Ministry on Thursday, “no additional endorsement on the license as to capacity shall be necessary.”
According to Rule 60 A (Capacity revision for new manufacturers issued a Form VII licence), a new manufacturer who has been issued a Form VII licence under these rules may apply for enhancement, restoration, re-fixation, or calibre-wise revision of his licenced capacity, and the provisions of Rule 60 apply mutatis mutandis to such manufacturers.
“The manufacturer who has been issued a licence in Form VII under these rules shall be permitted to have enhanced annual production of firearms or ammunition or calibre wise revision of his licenced capacity by giving intimation to the licencing authority and also to the State Government concerned within ninety days from the end of the financial year and for which no further endorsement on the licence as to calibre shall be required,” according to Rule 60B (Enhanced annual production).
However, manufacturers must establish online electronic connectivity with the NDAL-ALIS system of the federal government under their user ID and provide for a monthly electronic online transfer of data regarding firearms manufactured and sold or transferred, as well as ammunition manufactured, sold, transferred, or consumed for the month, as recorded in the registers.
“If any circumstances arise that preclude a licensee from submitting online returns on the NDAL-ALIS system referenced,” the new Arms Rules state, “the local licencing authority should be notified promptly in order to create alternate ways of submitting the monthly returns.”