India. 2010 ‘Record Keeping.’ National Report of India on its Implementation of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, In a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (and the UNPoA); Chapter 1, pp. 3-4. New York, NY: Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations. 31 January

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Record Keeping

All ordnance factories maintain detailed records of small arms manufactured by them. Private firms and persons authorised to manufacture firearms against license issued under the Arms Rules of 1962 are required to maintain a Gun Manufacturing Register which records information including Serial Numbers, Date, Month and Year of manufacture. They are also required to maintain a Register of Rectification in which the Serial Numbers stamped on guns which are not passed by the Proof House on first submission are to be entered with a cross reference to the Gun Manufacturing Register. A designated Inspecting Officer inspects these registers regularly.

According to existing laws (Arms Act of 1959, Section 3), a proper license is a prerequisite for possession of any SALW. District authorities may issue license after duly making police inquiries. Due to the gravity of the problem of proliferation of illicit SALW - and the onslaught of terrorism, Government of India has, since 1987, withdrawn substantially, the license issuing powers of State/District authorities - who may not, now, issue license for prohibited bore weapons. Since 1987, their powers have been limited to issuing licenses for non-prohibited bore weapons and these licenses are valid for a limited geographical area. Under the existing law, all civilians are required to get their weapons/inspected once a year by a competent authority - this is also recorded in the license.

A record of arms sold in the civilian market (non-prohibited bore) is also required to be kept by each arms dealer under Section 26 of the Arms Rules (1962) in a Sale and Transfer Register. These records are regularly checked by the concerned state/district authorities.

License for possession of prohibited bore weapons may only be issued, under special conditions, by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, who also maintains a record of all such weapons in possession of civilian population. Licences for prohibitive bore weapons are issued by the Central Govt. in the case of a person having threat from terrorists/anti social elements and to certain defence personnel who were allotted weapons during their tenure by Defence establishment.

Armed forces/police and para-military forces maintain a permanent record of all weapons in their possession.

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