New Delhi: The Union government has warned officials of all ministries that sharing "classified/sensitive" information with media could vamp proceedings under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
Who has issued this circular?
A classified note was circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last month to secretaries of all ministries and department, equal to the Hindustan Times reports.
What does the circular say?
The MHA has updated a circular, which was sent out 28 years ago, by subtracting the threat of proceedings under OSA.
According to the reports, the circular mentioned that the move was prompted by a “spurt in the incidents of leakage of sensitive information to unauthorized or undesirable elements having potential of jeopardizing the overall national interest and security besides stuff a source of embarrassment to the government.”
As per the Hindustan Times reports, the circular moreover targets “any unauthorized liaison with the media” and says this should be responded to with “suitable action”. To be sure, the provision does not wield to authorised spokespersons.
"It is the duty of all government servants to safeguard the information and documents to which they have wangle in the undertow of their official duties. Any unauthorized liaison with the media should be dealt with by suitable action, and in specimen of sharing of any classified/ sensitive information, stringent whoopee under the Official Secrets Act needs to be contemplated," said the note, reported by the HT, citing people who spoke on condition of anonymity.
What did MHA say well-nigh the circular?
The PIB and the MHA spokespersons didn't respond without the HT reached out to them.
The original circular which was issued in December 1998 didn’t have any reference to OSA and instead was increasingly of an advisory.
"It is reiterated that such a misconduct on the part of a government servant is a well-spoken violation of the Rule 11 of the CCS (Conduct) Rules," the circular reads.
According to the HT report, the government note asks officials to uncontrived any queries from journalists to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or ask for the secretary’s permission surpassing responding.
