Srinagar, July 4: The Jammu and Kashmir LG Administration on Saturday placed eight officials of the School Education Department under suspension and ordered a high-level inquiry after two books supplied to government school libraries were found to contain what the department described as “highly inappropriate content” with the potential to create law and order issues.
According to Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026 dated July 4, Samagra Shiksha had procured age-appropriate books for 18,328 government schools and 394 PM SHRI schools through a structured selection process involving four expert sub-committees comprising academicians from Jammu and Kashmir.
The order states that out of 463 books submitted by 364 publishers, two books—”Personalities and Legends of J&K” authored by Mr. Hilal Ahmad and Mr. 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—were found to contain objectionable material. Both books had already been withdrawn through separate government orders issued on July 3.
The department observed that 123 copies of the first title had been supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the second title had been distributed in Jammu and Baramulla districts.
The government held that the incident reflected serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of due diligence on the part of members of the concerned expert sub-committee and supervisory officers who recommended the books despite the alleged objectionable content.
Pending inquiry, the government has suspended Fazil Imran Siddiqui, Coordinator Library, Samagra Shiksha; Gurjeet Singh, Assistant Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha; Sanjeev Sharma, Principal, GHSS Kore Punnu, Kathua; Shazia Kouser, Academic Officer, SCERT Jammu; Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, Lecturer, BHSS Wathoora, Budgam; Niranjan Sharma, Lecturer, GHSS Badhat, Kishtwar; Renu Mengi, Lecturer, DIET Jammu; and Rajmohini, Lecturer, GGHSS Poonch.
The order also disengages Sheikh Suheel Ahmad, a contractual Computer Assistant assisting the Coordinator Library, Samagra Shiksha, with immediate effect.
The government has appointed Ashwani Kumar, IAS, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department, as the Inquiry Officer, while Rohit Sharma, JKAS, Additional Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department, has been appointed as the Presenting Officer. The Inquiry Officer has been asked to submit the report within 30 days.
Further, the government has ordered that the authors and publishers of the two books be banned and blacklisted in the Union Territory, directing that all printed material authored or published by them be withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]
