(a) Top Secret shall be applied to information and material, the unauthorized disclosure of which could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security or national interest.
Note: This category is reserved for the nation’s closest secrets and is to be used with great reserve.
(b) Secret shall be applied to information and material, the unauthorized disclosure of which could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security, or national interests, or cause serious embarrassment to the Government in its functioning.
Note: This classification should be used for highly important matters and is the highest classification normally used.
(c) Confidential shall be applied to information and material the unauthorized disclosure of which could be expected to cause damage to the national security or would be prejudicial to the national interests or would embarrass the Government in its functioning.
Note: Most matters will on proper analysis be classified no higher than CONFIDENTIAL.
(d) Restricted shall be applied to information and material, which is essentially meant for official use only and which should not be published or communicated, to anyone except for official purpose.
3402. Official Documents. (1) Official reports, correspondence and documents of whatever description, whether classified or not are the property of the Government and shall not be disclosed, without special authority, to any person not officially entitled to receive them.
(2) The privilege of refusing to produce official documents, or give evidence as regards official communications is, as regards civil and criminal courts in India, and courts martial under the Navy Act, 1957, regulated by sections 123, 124 and 162 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.