New pension rules bid to silence them, say ex-babus

A group of 109 former civil servants Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over changes in pension rules, saying they were deeply disturbed as the recent amendment “attempts to impose a silence”.

The amended rules make it mandatory for retired government servants who have worked in select intelligence or security-related organisations to take clearance from the head of the organisation if they wish to make any publication.

“We are unable to understand why there is a need for such an amendment to the Central Pension Rules, when there already exists an Official Secrets Act 1923 and the State can, under it, prosecute officials and former officials who reveal information prejudicial to the State. Pension is a right that accrues to every government servant for the service put in while in the government. It is subject only to future good conduct and cannot be taken away except for conviction for a serious crime or grave misconduct. If writing about certain matters amounts to grave misconduct, the government can certainly take action, as per law, to deprive the former official of his or her pension,” said the officials in an open letter to the Prime Minister.

The officials said the recent amendment to the pension rules attempts to impose a silence that will seriously affect scholarship and be a permanent impediment to an understanding of the imperatives of India’s security concerns.