MHA sets up T V S N Prasad Committee to explore possible alternatives to pellet guns in Kashmir
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has setup a seven-member expert committee for exploring the other possible alternatives to pellet guns as non-lethal weapons.
The Committee will be headed by T V S N Prasad, Joint Secretary in the MHA. It will submit its report within two months.
Other members of the committee: Atul Karwal (IG, CRPF), Rajeev Krishna, (IG Operations, BSF), Tushar Tripathy (DDG, Small Arms, Ordnance factory Board) and Naresh Bhatnagar (Professor at IIT, Delhi).
Background
- Earlier Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had announced in Lok Sabha that an expert committee will be set up to recommend alternatives to pellet guns.
- Pellet guns have been categorised as non-lethal weapon. In this gun, pellets are loaded with lead balls and once fired disperse into huge numbers.
- They may not kill the person they hit, but penetrates skin tissue and cause serious injuries.
- Pellet guns are being used since 2010 in Kashmir to disperse and control crowd i.e as deterrence to antisocial elements.
- The use of pellet guns is blamed for causing fatal injuries and blindness among protestors in Kashmir.
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Month: Current Affairs - July, 2016