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 “highly inappropriate” content.
According to Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026, issued on July 4, the action was taken after the department observed “serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of proper due diligence” during the selection and recommendation of books under the Samagra Shiksha library initiative.
The order stated that Samagra Shiksha had received a library grant for procuring age-appropriate books for 18,328 government schools and 394 PM SHRI schools. Expert sub-committees were constituted for the selection of library books across different classes.
During scrutiny, the department found objectionable content in two selected 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.
As per the order, 123 copies of the first book were supplied to Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the second book were supplied to Jammu and Baramulla districts before both publications were withdrawn.
The government said the books contained material related to separatism, which had the potential to create law and order concerns.
The officials placed under suspension include Fazil Imran Saddiqui (Coordinator Library, Samagra Shiksha), Gurjeet Singh (Assistant Coordinator), Sanjeev Sharma (Principal, GHSS Kore Pannu, 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).
During the suspension period, they will remain attached with the Administrative Department of the School Education Department.
The government has also disengaged contractual Computer Assistant Sheikh Suheel Ahmad, 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 Inquiry Officer, while Additional Secretary, General Administration Department, Rohit Sharma, has been appointed as Presenting Officer. The inquiry report has to be submitted within 30 days.
The government has further ordered that the authors and publishers of the two books be banned and blacklisted in Jammu and Kashmir, besides withdrawing all printed material authored or published by them from the Union Territory.
