The University of Jammu has barred the purchase of books written by three authors for allegedly promoting separatism in Jammu and Kashmir and has ordered the withdrawal of all copies of the publications concerned.

An investigation is already under way after social and political groups raised objections to the content of books distributed under the Samagra Shiksha programme. The counter-intelligence wing of the J&K Police recently arrested three publishers in connection with the contents of the books.

A circular issued by the University of Jammu stated: “It is hereby circulated for the information of all Rectors/Directors/Heads of the Teaching Departments/In-charge Librarian, Dhanvantri Library, that the below-mentioned authors and publishers have been banned and blacklisted henceforth in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the School Education Department, Civil Secretariat, J&K, vide Government Order No. 257-JK (Edu) of 2026 dated 04-07-2026. Furthermore, any printed material authored and/or published by them shall also be withdrawn from the territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”

The authors include Hilal Ahmad, Santosh Meena and Dr Sushant Giri while the publishers are Oberoi Book Service, Jammu and Anurag Prakashan, Delhi.

The publishers who were arrested earlier include Inderpaul of Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora of Noida-based Dominant Publishers. Previously, both Oberoi Book Service and Dominant Publishers had been blacklisted by the government. Counter-intelligence teams conducted raids on their premises on July 6.

As per the officials, the arrests were part of a broader investigation into the publication and distribution of books deemed to contain "highly inappropriate content".

The books in question are titled 'Personalities and Legends of J&K', authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Oberoi Book Service, and 'Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir', authored by Sushant Giri and published by Delhi-based Anurag Prakashan.

Copies of the books were found to be available at the library of the varsity even after the J&K administration had banned them recently.

The university has ordered all the staffers concerned to ensure that no books or any other printed material are purchased from the blacklisted publishers and authors and to take necessary action, wherever applicable, for the withdrawal of any such printed material from their respective offices/departments/libraries/digital repositories, if held, in strict compliance with the government order.

“To establish a robust mechanism through concerned departmental academic committee to ensure that no books, journals, magazines or other publications containing anti-national, separatist or objectionable content are procured, distributed or made available in their respective offices/departments/libraries” the circular read.

An immediate comprehensive audit and inspection has also been ordered to certify that no such material exists in the varsity’s departments.

A Committee has also be constituted by the university for formulation of a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for the procurement of books and academic material in the varsity including framing of a stringent screening mechanism alongwith periodic random scrutiny by a panel of academicians to prevent objectionable content from entering the institution.