Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Says No Ban on Military Officers Writing Books; No 20-Year “Cooling-Off” Rule Under Consideration

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has categorically rejected reports suggesting the government intends to introduce a 20-year 'cooling off' period for authorship of books about military experience following retirement of military officers from service. Singh stated that there is no proposal before the Cabinet for such a rule and former officers (including former Chiefs of Army) are not restricted from authoring or publishing books immediately following their retirement.

The statement by Singh follows heightened media and political attention surrounding the unpublished memoir entitled, Four Stars of Destiny, written by General M. N. Naravane (former Chief of Army) and concerns as to whether books authored by former senior commissioned officers would contain sensitive and/or classified information.

Though there will not be an outright prohibition or prolonged waiting period, the existing regulations stipulate that serving and retired military members must obtain permission from the Ministry of Defence prior to releasing any material, which could possibly relate to sensitive.

The connection to national security laws, such as the Official Secrets Act, has been further highlighted by the fact that some excerpts from the unpublished memoir have recently crossed Parliament, and that a police report was lodged when segments of it were referenced in a magazine article.

In summation, Singh stated that while retired officers can freely write and publish, no 20-year moratorium will be imposed, but they must follow security policies concerning the release of classified material.

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