| Book Row: Jammu University bans blacklisted authors, publishers | | Orders audit of libraries, SOP for procurement | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 15: In the wake of the controversy surrounding the book "Personalities and Legends of J&K", which allegedly glorified separatists and anti-national elements, the University of Jammu has banned and blacklisted the authors and publishers and directed all its departments to withdraw any such material from their libraries and repositories.
According to an official circular issued by the Jammu University, the decision has been taken in compliance with Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026 dated July 4, 2026, issued by the School Education Department, which banned the authors and publishers and ordered the withdrawal of all printed material authored or published by them from the union Territory
The circular, addressed to all Rectors, Directors, Heads of Teaching Departments and the In-charge Librarian of Dhanvantri Library, states that the banned authors are Hilal Ahmad, Santosh Meena and Dr. Sushant Giri, while the blacklisted publishers are Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Anurag Prakashan, Delhi.
University authorities have directed all departments to ensure that no books or other printed material are procured from the listed authors or publishers in future.
They have also been instructed to identify and withdraw any such publications available in their offices, departments, libraries or digital repositories in strict compliance with the government order.
The University has further instructed all academic units to establish a robust screening mechanism through the concerned Departmental Advisory Committees (DACs) to ensure that books, journals, magazines or any other publications containing anti-national, separatist or objectionable content are neither purchased nor made available in any academic or administrative unit.
As part of the exercise, a comprehensive audit and inspection of all libraries, offices and digital repositories has been ordered to certify that no such material exists within the University.
Departments have been asked to submit compliance reports to the University authorities after completing the verification process.
University sources said that a committee will also be constituted to frame a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for the procurement of books and academic material.
"The proposed SoP will include a stringent screening mechanism and provide for periodic random scrutiny of publications by a panel of academicians to prevent objectionable content from entering the University's libraries and digital repositories," they said.
The University's action comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police into the controversial book "Personalities and Legends of J&K".
The Jammu-based Counter Intelligence (CID) wing has already arrested three persons from Jammu and Delhi in connection with the publication of the book.
According to sources, those arrested include Jammu-based publisher Inderpal, Delhi-based printer Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora, who allegedly supplied the content for the publication.
The Counter Intelligence wing has registered an FIR and is investigating allegations that the book glorified terrorists and separatist elements in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, it had also carried out searches in Jammu and Noida as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, has directed all government and private schools as well as coaching institutions to conduct a comprehensive review of books available in classrooms, staff rooms, offices and libraries to ensure that no publication contains objectionable or inappropriate content.
The controversy had earlier prompted Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to suspend eight officials of the School Education Department, remove a contractual employee and order an inquiry into two books found to contain what the administration described as "highly inappropriate content."
The issue also drew strong objections from the BJP, Congress, J&K People's Forum and several other political and social organisations, which alleged that the publication glorified separatism. |
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