NEW DELHI, JULY 6 It’s a routine government notification that passed unnoticed but for the community of Indian shooters. It has the power to change the face of the sport and take it to a higher level — though there is still much work to be done.

The order — issued on Monday by the Union Commerce Ministry — makes air rifles and pistols, the rudimentary weapons for all beginners, easily accessible. So long, it was a procedure restricted to a few and bound in red tape.

This comes as a big relief for the shooting fraternity for whom trying to own a weapon had been an ordeal. A shooter first needed to finish among the top 25 at a national meet and later — after endless paperwork — obtain an import licence to get a foreign-made weapon.

Now, all one needs to do to own an air weapon is register with a rifle club or state/district association.

‘‘This will increase the number of youngsters taking up the sport’’, said national coach Sunny Thomas. ‘‘With the increase in the number of players, one can expect to have a bigger pool and the probability of getting medal winners also increases.’’

MP and national-level shooter Navin Jindal, who played a big role in lobbying the government for the change, sees this as a first step in the right direction. ‘‘It’s great for the shooters at the grassroots. In the past there were shooters who could afford an imported weapon but couldn’t buy due to the restriction. Now things will be easy.’’

However, as Thomas says, there’s still work to be done. For one, not much has changed for those who can’t afford it. While the import restriction is lifted, the 50 per cent duty still remains. That means that a new weapon will cost roughly the same as a second-hand ones available in the country today.