Centre Plans Guidelines for Books Authored by Serving and Retired Defence Personnel
The Ministry of Defence is framing a consolidated framework for both serving and retired armed forces personnel who wish to publish books. Currently, while serving personnel are governed by explicit service rules requiring prior permission, retired personnel fall into a legal grey area. The new guidelines aim to incorporate provisions from existing service rules and the Official Secrets Act (OSA). The OSA makes the disclosure of classified information or sensitive operational details a criminal offense, and it continues to apply to officers for life, even after retirement. The framework will establish a process for manuscript clearance to protect national security.
Key Points
- The Ministry of Defence is creating a single consolidated law to govern book-writing by retired Army officers.
- The Official Secrets Act (OSA) remains applicable to retired personnel for life regarding classified information.
- Serving personnel already require prior written permission for any literary or political activity outside official duties.
- Proposed guidelines will require authors to submit manuscripts containing operational details to the Ministry for verification.
Exam Facts
- The Official Secrets Act (OSA) applies to defense personnel even after retirement.
- The controversy involves the unpublished memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' by former Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane.
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