Nagaland has emerged as the state with the highest number of active gun licenses in the northeastern region, according to a recent Right to Information (RTI) request made by The Wire.
According to the information shared by The Wire, a staggering 44,473 individuals in Nagaland are authorized to carry firearms legally.
While the state with the most gun license holders across the country remains Uttar Pradesh, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (UT) and Punjab, Nagaland’s position in the northeastern region is notable.
Among the 10 states and UTs with the highest number of gun licenses issued between 2016 and 2023, Nagaland finds its place alongside Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Manipur.
Currently, Uttar Pradesh boasts an impressive 13,29,584 gun license holders, significantly surpassing other states in terms of numbers.
In its RTI request to the Ministry of Home Affairs, The Wire had asked for year-wise data on the number of individuals holding licensed guns in each state of the country. It had also asked for a categorization of gun licenses, such as licenses for self-defense, professional requirements, sports shooting, etc., and the number of licenses issued in each category, state-wise.
However, the response received only had data on gun licenses issued in each state. It showed that as of June 20 this year, there were 37.7 lakh active gun licenses across the country. This is over 4 lakhs more than the licenses that were active in December 2016 – when data was last made publicly available, the report said.
The report said that, although more licenses were granted in Manipur, overall Nagaland has the highest number of active gun licenses in the northeast.
Additionally, it has come to light that individuals from other states also seek and obtain their gun licenses through the state of Nagaland.
In 2017, Times of India had also reported that one can obtain a weapons license in Nagaland within a month.