SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department has ordered a comprehensive academic and content audit of books and other educational material in government and private degree colleges as well as publicly funded libraries, introducing a multi-tier verification mechanism to identify and withdraw publications considered factually inaccurate, misleading or prejudicial to India’s sovereignty and integrity.
The directive, issued through Circular No. 02-JK(HE) of 2026 dated July 9, establishes an institutional framework for the evaluation, verification, procurement, circulation and periodic audit of educational material across colleges under the department’s administrative control.
The circular says the exercise aims to strengthen academic standards while ensuring that teaching and reference material conforms to constitutional values, prescribed curricula and the educational objectives of the Higher Education Department.
Under the new mechanism, every college will constitute an Academic and Content Scrutiny Committee headed by the principal to examine books, journals, dissertations, theses and digital resources. The committees will be required to certify whether publications comply with academic standards and whether any material is “factually inaccurate, misleading, distorted or otherwise inappropriate.”
The audit specifically requires institutions to identify publications that contain material “promoting or glorifying terrorism, violent extremism, secessionism, radicalisation, anti-national ideology or any activity prejudicial to the sovereignty, unity, integrity or security of India.”
Books identified during the exercise may be withdrawn from circulation, placed under safe custody or referred to experts for further examination. Colleges will also have to recommend replacement of withdrawn publications where necessary.
The circular establishes a two-tier oversight system. After the college-level scrutiny, the reports will be examined by a Directorate Academic Review and Verification Committee headed by the Director Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. The Directorates will conduct sample verifications, examine records and prepare consolidated compliance reports for submission to the Higher Education Department.
The prescribed reporting formats require colleges to disclose the total number of publications examined, books withdrawn from circulation, publications kept under safe custody, and cases referred for expert examination. Institutions must also certify that departmental verification has been completed and attach proceedings of the scrutiny committees.
At the Directorate level, authorities will compile division-wise data, including the number of colleges covered, audit reports verified, publications withdrawn and cases referred for further examination. Directors are required to certify that appropriate action has been taken wherever non-compliance or procedural irregularities have been detected before forwarding consolidated reports to the Administrative Department.
The circular describes colleges as centres of higher learning, research and critical inquiry, stating that the audit framework is intended to reinforce academic integrity, quality assurance and institutional accountability in higher education across Jammu and Kashmir.
