• According to Ministry of Home Affairs, from April 2019, names of all arms licence holders, new or old, will be included in a national database and they will be issued a unique identification number.
• The move is aimed at keeping a tab on authorised private gun holders, many of whom are often found involved in crimes and celebratory firing leading to loss of lives.
• Every licensing and renewing authority will have to enter the data in the National Database of Arms Licences system, which will generate a UIN, and with effect from April 1, 2019, any arms licence without UIN shall be considered invalid, the Ministry said in a notification.
• Additionally, any existing licensee holding multiple licences shall on or before April 1, 2019 make an application for grant of a single licence in respect of all firearms held by him or her under his or her UIN to the concerned licensing authority.

The Hindu