Former Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane (retd) recently commented on the delay of his memoir, “Four Stars of Destiny,” which has been pending for over a year for approval from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). He emphasized that the responsibility for securing permission lies with the publisher, Penguin Random House, while the MoD conducts a review due to sensitive content regarding military operations, including discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the 2020 India-China border tensions. The memoir’s revelations, particularly on the Agnipath recruitment scheme, challenge the government’s narrative and have sparked significant scrutiny. This situation underscores the delicate balance between transparency and national security, reflecting broader implications for military-civilian relations in India.