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.

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.

National Current Affairs 2016 Tags: Committees • Jammu And Kashmir • National

MHA sets up T V S N Prasad Committee to explore possible alternatives to pellet guns in Kashmir