The Union government is examining a proposal to introduce a 20-year cooling-off period for senior officials, including top military commanders, before they can publish books after retirement. The idea, discussed at the highest levels on Friday, comes against the backdrop of an escalating political controversy over an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane.
Senior sources to Hindustan Times indicated that the proposal surfaced during informal deliberations at the Union Cabinet meeting. Though not listed on the official agenda, several ministers reportedly expressed concern that individuals who once held positions of strategic authority should refrain from releasing memoirs immediately after demitting office. A formal decision outlining the proposed 20-year restriction is expected in due course.
Naravane’s Memoir Sparks Political Flashpoint
The debate has been fuelled by the unpublished manuscript “Four Stars of Destiny”, in which General Naravane recounts events surrounding the India-China military standoff in Ladakh in August 2020. Portions of the manuscript entered the political arena earlier this month when Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi cited excerpts in Parliament.
The government objected to references from a work that had not yet been officially released. Gandhi later displayed a copy of the manuscript and soon thereafter, a PDF version began circulating online, intensifying the controversy.
Police Probe Into Manuscript Leak
Following the circulation of the digital copy, Delhi Police registered a case to investigate the unauthorized distribution of the manuscript. The publisher, Penguin Random House India, issued a public statement cautioning that any copies — whether digital or print — amounted to copyright infringement and would invite legal action.
Police have since served notice to the publishing house, asking it to cooperate with investigators and clarify how the manuscript surfaced ahead of its formal publication. The publisher maintained that the book is still pending clearance from the Ministry of Defence and has not been officially released, even though pre-orders were opened as part of routine publishing procedures.
During the same Cabinet meeting, ministers also briefly discussed the release of U.S. Department of Justice documents related to financier Jeffrey Epstein.
