In what is being seen as academic audit move in the wake of pro separatist content found in some books, the Jammu & Kashmir government has ordered a large-scale review of books and other academic material in schools, colleges, universities and public libraries across the Union Territory.
The move follows a controversy over two books that were supplied to government school libraries and were accused of portraying separatist leaders as "great personalities". After the row, the government withdrew the books, suspended officials and expanded the review to cover nearly all educational material.The issue started with two books, Personalities and Legends of Jammu and Kashmir and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir, that were purchased for government school libraries under the Centre's Samagra Shiksha scheme for higher secondary students.
According to the government, the review is intended to strengthen academic standards, improve institutional accountability and create a uniform process for evaluating educational material across Jammu and Kashmir.
The books described several leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Masrat Alam and JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat, among the "great personalities" of the erstwhile state. Bhat was executed in 1984 after being convicted of murder.According to the government, 123 copies of the first book were supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the second book reached schools in Jammu and Baramulla.
The books triggered protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu. Following the protests, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the suspension of eight School Education Department employees and directed a senior IAS officer to investigate the matter.The two books were withdrawn from school libraries, while their authors and publishers were blacklisted.
Some books, however, are procured centrally by the government and distributed to schools. Many of these purchases are made under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.Soon after the controversy, the Director of School Education directed all government and private schools, as well as coaching centres, to examine every book available in their libraries, classrooms, offices and staff rooms.
Institutions were asked to certify that no book on their premises contains "objectionable material". The order said books should be checked for content that could hurt religious sentiments, violate existing laws, affect educational values or harm national interests.
Within a day, the government expanded the exercise beyond schools. Colleges, universities and public libraries were also brought under review.The government has defined objectionable material as content that is "factually inaccurate, misleading, distorted, inflammatory, unlawful or otherwise objectionable".
It also includes any material that directly or indirectly promotes, glorifies or justifies terrorism, violent extremism, secessionism, radicalisation or activities considered harmful to India's sovereignty, unity, integrity and security.The administration has said that such material should not be procured, prescribed, recommended, circulated, published or made available in educational institutions, the news report said.
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