New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has clarified that there is no proposal to impose a 20 year cooling off period on retired armed forces officers before they can write or publish books. He stated that no such proposal has been placed before the Cabinet and there is currently no restriction preventing former Army chiefs or other retired officers from authoring books immediately after retirement.
The clarification comes amid controversy surrounding the book Four Stars of Destiny authored by former Army chief General MM Naravane. The book, reportedly containing references to sensitive national security matters, was scheduled for release in 2024 but has been put on hold pending review by the Defence Ministry.
The issue gained political attention after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to cite excerpts from the book in Parliament. A magazine report based on its contents also surfaced, following which the Delhi Police registered a case in connection with the matter.
At present, there is no specific standalone law governing the publication of books by retired military personnel. However, existing service rules and the Official Secrets Act continue to apply even after retirement. This means that disclosure of classified or sensitive information related to military operations, intelligence, weapons capabilities or matters affecting national security and foreign relations remains prohibited.
Sources indicate that the Defence Ministry is examining the possibility of issuing updated guidelines. These may require serving and retired personnel to obtain prior clearance before publishing books based on their service experience. For serving officers, written permission is already mandatory for any publication and is routed through the chain of command to Army Headquarters or the ministry.
Officials have emphasised that safeguarding confidential information remains paramount, and any material containing operational or strategic details must undergo official scrutiny before release.
