Jammu and Kashmir mandates annual audit of college books

The Jammu and Kashmir government has implemented a mandatory annual academic and content audit of all educational resources in government and recognized private degree colleges. The Higher Education Department established a three-tier scrutiny mechanism involving college, directorate, and administrative levels to evaluate books, journals, and digital resources.

Under the new directive, institutions must withdraw any material deemed objectionable, factually inaccurate, or inconsistent with academic standards and constitutional values. Specifically, the government has prohibited the procurement or circulation of content that promotes terrorism, violent extremism, secessionism, or activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India. Material flagged during these reviews is to be placed in safe custody pending further orders.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressed the controversy regarding the withdrawal of 4,249 books, noting that the current administrative framework limits the elected government's power to reverse such censorship decisions. He stated that the government would need a “change in the situation” to revisit the issue. The audit process has already scrutinized over 2.18 million publications, with the majority of withdrawn books originating from institutions in the Kashmir Valley.