Srinagar, July 4, KDC: The Lieutenant Governor on Friday suspended eight officers and officials of the School Education Department and ordered a high-level inquiry into alleged lapses in the selection and procurement of library books found to contain “highly inappropriate content” for government schools. The action was taken through Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026 dated July 4, issued by the School Education Department by order of the Lieutenant Governor.
According to the order, a copy of which is in the possession of news agency Kashmir Dot Com, Samagra Shiksha had received a library grant for procuring age-appropriate books for 18,328 government schools and 394 PM SHRI schools, following which an Expression of Interest (EOI) was floated. Four expert sub-committees comprising academicians from the Jammu and Kashmir divisions were constituted to evaluate books for different school levels. A total of 463 books submitted by 364 publishers were shortlisted for procurement.
The order states that two of the shortlisted books were subsequently found to contain inappropriate material and were withdrawn by the department on July 3. The books are 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 Dr. Sushant Giri and published by Anurag Prakashan, Delhi. Copies of these books had already been supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur and Baramulla districts.
The administration observed that the books contained content related to separatism with the potential to create law and order issues. It held that there had been serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of due diligence by members of Sub-Committee Series-4 and supervisory officers while recommending the books, making them prima facie responsible for the lapses.
Pending inquiry, the Lieutenant Governor administration has suspended Fazil Imran Siddiqui, Coordinator Library, Samagra Shiksha; Gurjeet Singh, Assistant Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha; 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, all eight officials will remain attached to the Administrative Department of the School Education Department.
The order also disengages Sheikh Suheel Ahmad, a contractual Computer Assistant assisting the Coordinator Library under Samagra Shiksha, with immediate effect.
To investigate the matter, Ashwani Kumar, IAS, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department, has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer, while Rohit Sharma, JKAS, Additional Secretary in the General Administration Department, has been named the Presenting Officer. The Inquiry Officer has been directed to submit the report within 30 days.
The order further directs that the authors and publishers of the two withdrawn books be banned and blacklisted in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It also orders the withdrawal of any other printed material authored and/or published by them from across the Union Territory. (KDC)
