Srinagar, July 4 (KNB): The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday suspended eight officials of the School Education Department, ordered a high-level inquiry and blacklisted the authors and publishers of two books supplied to government school libraries after they were found to contain objectionable content.
The action was ordered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha through Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026, issued a day after the School Education Department directed the recall of the two books from all government schools.
The government also disengaged a contractual Computer Assistant associated with the Library Coordinator at Samagra Shiksha and ordered disciplinary proceedings against the officials concerned.
According to the order, the books were procured under the Samagra Shiksha library programme, which provides financial assistance for the purchase of books for government schools across Jammu and Kashmir.
The books under scrutiny are Personalities and Legends of J&K, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir, authored by Dr. Sushant Giri and published by Anurag Prakashan, Delhi.
The government said a review conducted on July 3 found the books contained objectionable material allegedly linked to separatist ideology, prompting their immediate withdrawal from circulation.
Official records showed that 123 copies of the first book had been distributed to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the second book had reached schools in Jammu and Baramulla before being recalled.
The order said four expert committees comprising academicians from Jammu and Kashmir had examined books submitted by publishers for inclusion in school libraries. Based on their recommendations, 463 books from 364 publishers were approved.
The government held members of the expert committees and supervising officers responsible for alleged negligence and failure to exercise due diligence during the scrutiny and approval process.
Pending the inquiry, eight officials, including the Coordinator Library, Assistant Coordinator of Samagra Shiksha, a Principal, four Lecturers and an Academic Officer, have been placed under suspension under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956.
Ashwani Kumar, IAS, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department, has been appointed Inquiry Officer, while Rohit Sharma, JKAS, Additional Secretary in the General Administration Department, has been named Presenting Officer. The Inquiry Officer has been asked to submit a report within 30 days.
The government has also blacklisted the authors and publishers of the two books and directed that all publications authored or published by them be withdrawn from circulation across the Union Territory.
The controversy came to the fore after the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Forum alleged that the books projected separatist leaders and terrorists as prominent personalities of Jammu and Kashmir.
The issue later drew political attention, with Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma seeking immediate withdrawal of the books and action against those responsible for their approval and distribution.
On Friday, the School Education Department had ordered the immediate recall of the two publications from all government schools, saying action would be taken against all those involved in their publication, approval, procurement and distribution.(KNB)