Government weighs 20-year cooling-off period for retired officials’ memoirs amid Naravane row

The Union government is considering a proposal to introduce a 20-year cooling-off period for senior officials — including top bureaucrats and military officers — before they can publish books after retirement, officials familiar with the discussions said on Friday.

The issue surfaced during a Union cabinet meeting against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane and his unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny. Claims attributed to the manuscript regarding the eastern Ladakh military standoff with China in 2020 have triggered heated exchanges in Parliament over the past two weeks.

According to the officials, several ministers informally expressed the view that individuals who have held positions of authority should face a mandatory waiting period before authoring books that may touch upon sensitive matters. A formal order outlining the proposed 20-year restriction is likely to be issued soon, they added.

The subject was not part of the cabinet’s official agenda but arose during general deliberations, the sources said.

Separately, ministers also discussed the political controversy linked to recently released files by the US Department of Justice concerning Jeffrey Epstein. The officials said the consensus within the meeting was that the government should maintain its existing position and avoid engaging with Opposition allegations.

The Opposition has repeatedly attempted to link Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri to Epstein. Puri has rejected the claims, stating that any interactions were part of official engagements connected to the International Peace Institute, and denying any visit to Epstein’s private island.

The Naravane manuscript controversy erupted on February 2 when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to reference the unpublished book in the Lok Sabha, drawing strong objections from the treasury benches on the grounds that the work had not been officially released.

The dispute intensified after a PDF version of the manuscript began circulating on social media. Publisher Penguin Random House India issued a statement warning that any unauthorised distribution constituted copyright infringement and that legal remedies would be pursued.

Soon after, the Delhi Police registered an FIR and initiated a probe into the alleged illegal circulation of the manuscript.

Naravane later clarified that the book had not been published or made available for sale in any format and backed the publisher’s position.

At the heart of the controversy are descriptions of events on the Kailash Range near Pangong Tso in August 2020, particularly references to decision-making during the India–China military tensions.

Although the memoir was originally slated for release in January 2024, publication was delayed after the defence establishment sought prior clearance. The Ministry of Defence has not yet granted final approval for the book.