India bars ex-intelligence, security officials from disclosing sensitive information without clearance

India has amended rules barring its officers, who work or had worked in intelligence and security-related organisations, from publishing sensitive information by adding new clauses, including conditions that they cannot share any material on "domain of the organisation" and its personnel without clearance from the competent authority.

The retired officials will have to sign an undertaking to the effect and pension could be withheld or withdrawn for failure to comply with the rules, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The amended rule said, "No government servant, who, having worked in any intelligence or security-related organization included in the Second Schedule of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (22 of 2005), shall, without prior clearance from competent authority, publish in any manner, while in service or after retirement, any information or material or knowledge which is related to the domain of the organization and obtained by virtue of working in the said organisation."

The new rule bars retired officials from sharing sensitive information "the disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, or relation with a foreign State or which would lead to incitement of an offence."