New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir government has directed all government and recognised private schools, along with coaching centres across the Kashmir division, to review books available on their premises for what it describes as inappropriate or objectionable content.
An official directive issued by the Directorate of School Education instructs heads of institutions to examine books kept in libraries, classrooms, staff rooms and offices. The review covers both newly acquired and older publications. Institutions must certify to their respective Chief Education Officers or Zonal Education Officers that no books on campus contain objectionable material.
The order states that books should not contain content considered inappropriate for students, offensive to religious sentiments, contrary to prevailing laws, harmful to national interest or inconsistent with educational values and established norms.
If any such material is identified, school authorities must submit a report containing the title, author, publisher, year of publication and number of copies within seven days. Chief Education Officers have also been directed to monitor compliance and submit consolidated reports to the Director of School Education by July 19.
The directive follows a controversy over books supplied to government school libraries. The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the National Conference-led government of promoting what it called “academic jihad”. The dispute resulted in the withdrawal of two books from school libraries, suspension of eight officials and termination of a contractual employee over the inclusion of content described by the government as pro-separatist. Police also searched a publisher’s premises after registering a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The order has drawn criticism from political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said libraries exist to preserve knowledge rather than shape political narratives. He argued that removing books weakens scholarship and warned against restricting academic freedom and engagement with history.
