- There is no proposal for a 20-year cooling-off period for military officers writing books, said Rajnath Singh
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there is no ban on former Army chiefs writing books post-retirement
- Books by retired officers now have to be vetted by Defence Ministry if containing sensitive information
There is no proposal for a 20-year cooling-off period for retired army officers writing books, and no proposal has been made in the Cabinet regarding this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. There will be no restriction on military officers writing books until 20 years after retirement. There will also be no ban on former Army chiefs writing books immediately after retirement.
His clarification came amid a huge controversy over a book -- "Four Stars of Destiny"-- written by former Army chief General MM Naravane. The book - allegedly containing sensitive information regarding national security -- was slated for release in 2024 but has been stalled pending review by the Defence ministry.
The matter made headlines after the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, tried to read excerpts from it in parliament.
A magazine has also published a report based on the book. The Delhi Police have filed a case regarding this matter.
Under the current rules, sensitive and security-related confidential information cannot be made public by serving or retired officers.
There have been reports that the Defence ministry is working on a new rule regarding books by armed forces personnel.
Under it, serving and retired soldiers will be required to obtain the ministry's permission before writing a book. The rule is being specially designed for retired veterans who, after leaving the military, typically write books based on their experiences. Action will be taken if the rule is flouted.
While the ministry or the army is reluctant to comment on the matter on record, sources have told NDTV that the government may issue new guidelines regarding veterans writing or publishing books and the guidelines could be implemented very soon.
Sources said serious discussions are in progress within the ministry to develop new rules that would include incorporating provisions from existing service rules and Official Secrets Act.
There, however, is no specific law governing the writing of books by retired military officers. Until now, different laws and regulations have applied to them, depending on the type of book written and its content. The protection of confidential information related to national security is paramount.
Sources said currently, retired officers are not barred from writing books, but the Official Secrets Act remains in effect even after retirement, meaning that disclosing confidential or sensitive information after retirement will be considered a crime.
According to military sources, the Official Secrets Act applies to every government employee, including those in the military. Compliance is mandatory after retirement.
If a book contains military operations, sensitive information, or confidential matters, it must first be submitted to the Ministry of Defence for approval.
The ministry grants permission for publication only after vetting it with the relevant department.
The rules are even stricter for serving soldiers. They must obtain written permission for any book, article, or other activity. This permission passes through the command to the Army Headquarters or the Ministry of Defence.
It is important to note that publishing confidential information, military operations, weapons capabilities, intelligence, or anything that could impact national security or foreign relations is strictly prohibited.
Even fictional stories can be blocked if they contain actual military information or operations.
