Srinagar, July 7 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday directed a comprehensive audit of educational institutions across the Union Territory to ensure that no books or literature containing alleged anti-national or separatist content are available in schools, colleges, universities and libraries, officials said.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, the lieutenant governor was briefed on the action taken following the recovery of books allegedly promoting separatist ideology in certain educational institutions, the officials said.
Sinha directed the concerned departments to establish an effective mechanism to prevent the procurement, circulation or availability of publications, including books, journals, magazines and other literature containing anti-national, separatist or objectionable content in government and private educational institutions as well as public and private libraries.
He also ordered a comprehensive audit and inspection of educational institutions and asked their heads to submit an undertaking within a stipulated period certifying that no such material is available on their premises, the officials said.
The lieutenant governor further instructed authorities to examine the websites and digital repositories of universities and higher educational institutions and remove any objectionable material, if found.
Sinha also directed the formulation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the procurement of books and academic material for educational institutions. The SOP should include a screening mechanism and periodic random scrutiny by a panel of educationists, intellectuals and senior officers to ensure that objectionable material does not enter educational institutions, the officials said.
Warning of strict action in case of any lapse, Sinha said the heads of the institutions concerned would be held personally accountable.
He said educational institutions should remain centres of learning and constitutional values, asserting that there would be zero tolerance for any attempt to mislead or radicalise students through objectionable literature, the officials added.(NVI)
