Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended eight officials of the School Education Department and ordered a high-level inquiry after two books procured for government school libraries were found to contain what it described as “highly inappropriate” content.
According to Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026, issued on July 4, the action follows findings of “serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of proper due diligence” in the selection and recommendation of books under the Samagra Shiksha library initiative.
The order stated that Samagra Shiksha had received a library grant to procure age-appropriate books for 18,328 government schools and 394 PM SHRI schools. Expert sub-committees had been constituted to evaluate and recommend books for different classes.
During scrutiny, the department identified objectionable content in two books—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 Sushant Giri and published by Anurag Prakashan, Delhi.
According to the order, 123 copies of Personalities and Legends of J&K had been supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir were distributed to schools in Jammu and Baramulla before both books were withdrawn.
The government said the publications contained material related to separatism that had the potential to create law and order concerns.
The suspended officials are Fazil Imran Saddiqui, Coordinator (Library), Samagra Shiksha; Gurjeet Singh, Assistant Coordinator; Sanjeev Sharma, Principal, Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Kore Pannu, Kathua; Shazia Kouser, Academic Officer, SCERT Jammu; Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, Lecturer, Boys Higher Secondary School (BHSS) Wathoora, Budgam; Niranjan Sharma, Lecturer, GHSS Badhat, Kishtwar; Renu Mengi, Lecturer, DIET Jammu; and Rajmohini, Lecturer, Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSS), Poonch.
During the suspension period, all eight officials will remain attached to the Administrative Department of the School Education Department.
The government has also disengaged Sheikh Suheel Ahmad, a contractual Computer Assistant who was assisting the Coordinator (Library), Samagra Shiksha, with immediate effect.
Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department, Ashwani Kumar, has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer, while Additional Secretary, General Administration Department, Rohit Sharma, will serve as the Presenting Officer. The inquiry has been directed to submit its report within 30 days.
In addition, the government has ordered the banning and blacklisting of the authors and publishers of the two books in Jammu and Kashmir. It has also directed that all printed material authored or published by them be withdrawn from circulation across the Union Territory.
