In Kashmir, scrutiny of academic material moves from schools to colleges, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated a "comprehensive academic and content audit" of educational material in colleges, universities, and public libraries across the Union Territory.
• This audit expands on a previous order for school libraries and now includes journals, research publications, academic theses, dissertations, and digital repositories.
• The stated aim is to remove content deemed "factually inaccurate, misleading, distorted, inflammatory, unlawful or otherwise objectionable," including material promoting terrorism, secessionism, or radicalisation.
• The initiative seeks to enforce academic standards, strengthen institutional accountability, and preserve the integrity of the educational ecosystem.
• Academics have raised concerns that the order could hinder genuine research and scholarship by compelling institutions to remove academic books on Kashmir to avoid repercussions.

Detailed Insights:

• The government's directive follows recent concerns regarding books in institutional libraries and the procurement of educational material.
• Heads of institutions have been made responsible for compliance, with warnings of serious consequences for any negligence or deviation.
• The framework aims to ensure academic resources align with the Constitution of India, existing laws, the National Education Policy, and prescribed curricular standards.
• This move comes after the Jammu and Kashmir administration previously banned 25 books on Kashmir for allegedly propagating false narratives and secessionism.
• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir was formed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.
• The reorganisation came into effect on October 31, 2019, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has a legislative assembly, unlike Ladakh.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Union Territory (UT): A region in India directly governed by the central government, unlike states which have their own governments.
• Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019: An Act of the Indian Parliament that reorganised the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature).
• Academic Freedom: The liberty of teachers, students, and institutions to pursue knowledge, question, and challenge established wisdom without unreasonable interference, censorship, or restriction.