According to an official circular issued by the Jammu University, the decision has been taken in compliance with Government Order No. 257-JK(Edu) of 2026 dated July 4, 2026, issued by the School Education Department, which banned the authors and publishers and ordered the withdrawal of all printed material authored or published by them from the union Territory.

The circular, addressed to all Rectors, Directors, Heads of Teaching Departments and the In-charge Librarian of Dhanvantri Library, states that the banned authors are Hilal Ahmad, Santosh Meena and Dr. Sushant Giri, while the blacklisted publishers are Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Anurag Prakashan, Delhi.

University authorities have directed all departments to ensure that no books or other printed material are procured from the listed authors or publishers in future.

They have also been instructed to identify and withdraw any such publications available in their offices, departments, libraries or digital repositories in strict compliance with the government order.

The University has further instructed all academic units to establish a robust screening mechanism through the concerned Departmental Advisory Committees (DACs) to ensure that books, journals, magazines or any other publications containing anti-national, separatist or objectionable content are neither purchased nor made available in any academic or administrative unit.

As part of the exercise, a comprehensive audit and inspection of all libraries, offices and digital repositories has been ordered to certify that no such material exists within the University.

Departments have been asked to submit compliance reports to the University authorities after completing the verification process.

University sources said that a committee will also be constituted to frame a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for the procurement of books and academic material.

“The proposed SoP will include a stringent screening mechanism and provide for periodic random scrutiny of publications by a panel of academicians to prevent objectionable content from entering the University’s libraries and digital repositories,” they said.

The University’s action comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police into the controversial book “Personalities and Legends of J&K”.

The Jammu-based Counter Intelligence (CID) wing has already arrested three persons from Jammu and Delhi in connection with the publication of the book.

According to sources, those arrested include Jammu-based publisher Inderpal, Delhi-based printer Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora, who allegedly supplied the content for the publication.

The Counter Intelligence wing has registered an FIR and is investigating allegations that the book glorified terrorists and separatist elements in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, it had also carried out searches in Jammu and Noida as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, has directed all government and private schools as well as coaching institutions to conduct a comprehensive review of books available in classrooms, staff rooms, offices and libraries to ensure that no publication contains objectionable or inappropriate content.

The controversy had earlier prompted Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to suspend eight officials of the School Education Department, remove a contractual employee and order an inquiry into two books found to contain what the administration described as “highly inappropriate content.”

The issue also drew strong objections from the BJP, Congress, J&K People’s Forum and several other political and social organisations, which alleged that the publication glorified separatism.

Wangchuk, 59, has emerged as the face of the protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators are demanding the resignation of union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities linked to the NEET examination. He joined the protest on June 28 and began his indefinite fast as part of the agitation.

According to the CJP, Wangchuk has lost around 8.2 kilograms since beginning his fast. “Sonam Wangchuk has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end his fast. He calmly replied, ‘Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue,'” Dipke posted on social media.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was among those who appealed to Wangchuk to withdraw his fast, describing his life as valuable to society and the causes he represents. “We humbly request and earnestly appeal to Shri Sonam Wangchuk ji to break his fast. His life is invaluable to the entire world because it embodies the same commitment to humanity and the environment as it does to democracy,” Yadav said in a post on X.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. “Sonam Sir, your fast has united this country’s youth in their war for justice. Your goal is reached. The government doesn’t care about your life or that of crores of youth. But your life matters to us. Please call off the fast and continue the fight,” Moitra wrote on X.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also expressed concern over Wangchuk’s health and appealed to him to end his fast.

Actor Omi Vaidya, known for portraying the character Chatur in the film 3 Idiots, shared a video message expressing concern for Wangchuk, whose work inspired the character of Phunsukh Wangdu in the movie. “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die,” Vaidya said, urging people to stand by Wangchuk while expressing concern over his health.

Official sources said that two suspected terrorists were spotted in CCTV footage, following which personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, CRPF, and the Special Operations Group initiated a coordinated search operation in the adjoining villages of Thanamandi to trace the suspects.

“Search operation is in progress,” they added.

The order was passed by the Special Judge of the NIA Court in connection with a case pertaining to the ongoing probe into the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to the order passed by the Special Judge, NIA Court, Jammu, the instant application was presented before the court seeking issuance of a non-bailable warrant against absconding accused Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who is involved in case RC No. 02/2025/NIA/JMU, in which a supplementary chargesheet has already been filed before the court.

The accused, a resident of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan, and a designated terrorist under the UAPA, 1967, is the founder of the proscribed terrorist organisation LeT and is operating from Pakistan.

“Accused is deliberately evading his arrest and NIA prays for issuance of open dated non-bailable warrant against him to initiate further proceedings in the matter and to take legal action against him at any further investigation,” read an order.

The order further stated that arrest and custodial interrogation of the accused are necessary for a fair, complete and effective investigation.

“Accordingly, a non-bailable warrant of arrest is issued against accused Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and is forwarded to DIG, NIA, Jammu, for execution as per the law and procedure prescribed,” it stated.

Saeed, designated a global terrorist by India and the United States, is also considered the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 6, 20206 filed charges against Pakistan-based terrorist and LeT/TRF chief and founder Hafiz Saeed in the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack case.

In its supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court, Jammu, the anti-terror agency has charged Hafiz Saeed in his individual capacity and also as the chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit and its active proxy organisation The Resistance Front (TRF).

The accused has been charged under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, it read.

The NIA has also invoked the penal section against the accused for waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border in the chargesheet.

The deadly attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025 involved religion-based targeted killings by the Pak-sponsored terrorists.

Twenty-five innocents, mostly tourists and one local civilian were killed in the attack. An FIR (no. 25/2025) was initially registered by Police Station Pahalgam, district Anantnag.

After initial investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was transferred to NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Officials said the graveyard, where those killed during the 1931 incident are buried, was sealed on late Sunday as a precautionary measure. Barricades were erected at several locations in the old city, while police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were deployed in strength to maintain law and order. Armoured vehicles were also stationed in sensitive areas to prevent any attempt by political leaders and supporters to march to the graveyard.

July 13 was observed as a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the killing of 22 Kashmiris during protests against the Dogra rule in 1931. However, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union Territories in 2019, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration discontinued the official holiday.

Hurriyat Conference chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had announced that he would offer Zuhr (afternoon) prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid before leading a march to the Martyrs’ Graveyard to offer prayers and pay tributes to those killed in 1931.

Leaders of the ruling National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also announced plans to visit the graveyard to pay homage to the martyrs.

However, several political leaders alleged on Monday morning that they had either been placed under house arrest or prevented from leaving their residences to visit the graveyard.

Jammu and Kashmir Minister and National Conference leader Sakina Itoo said she, along with the party’s provincial president of the Women’s Wing, attempted to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada at around 4:30 a.m.

“However, due to the heavy deployment of security forces and extensive barbed-wire barricading around the graves, I was prevented from entering,” she said on X while also posting a video.

“Physical barriers cannot prevent us from honouring the supreme sacrifices of our martyrs. Their memory, courage, and legacy will forever remain alive in our hearts. We will continue to pay our tributes with dignity and unwavering respect,” she added.

Last year, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had defied police restrictions by scaling the cemetery wall to pay tributes to the July 13, 1931 martyrs.

On Sunday evening, PDP’s Iltija Mufti alleged that she and her mother, Mehbooba Mufti, were put under ‘house arrest’, on the eve of Martyrs’ Day.

The clarification comes amid public concerns over documentation requirements as the Commission undertakes the revision exercise.

According to the ECI, electors whose names are already included in the electoral roll only need to verify their details and submit the Enumeration Form. No supporting documents will be sought from such voters unless there is a mismatch in records or further verification becomes necessary.

Officials said that if the details furnished by an elector match the existing electoral database, the verification process will be completed without seeking any additional proof. However, documents may be requested in cases where discrepancies arise or the information cannot be verified.

The Commission has urged voters to cooperate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the house-to-house verification exercise and ensure that their personal and family details are accurate.

The SIR exercise is aimed at updating electoral rolls by removing duplicate, deceased and ineligible entries while ensuring that all eligible citizens remain enrolled. The revision is being carried out in phases and will culminate with the publication of the final electoral roll after disposal of claims and objections.

UNI

“The National Conference had exercised patience for the past 21 months, but its silence had been taken for granted,” Abdullah said, addressing a massive public rally here at Maharaja Hari Singh Park.

He said, “After Kashmir, we have assembled here in such large numbers, and this shows that we cannot wait any longer for statehood. Our silence was taken for granted, but enough is enough,” he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led Centre, the Chief Minister reminded it of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance on restoring statehood.

“You should implement what Prime Minister Modi himself said on statehood—‘Ye Modi Ka Wada Hai.’ We remained silent, but our innocence was taken for granted. We have now been forced to hit the streets and fight for our rights,” Omar said.

Questioning the repeated assurances from the Centre, he said every time the National Conference sought a timeline for restoring statehood, it received the same response.

“Whenever we ask when statehood will be restored, we are told it will happen at an appropriate time. But when that appropriate time will come, nobody knows,” he said.

Announcing the next phase of the party’s agitation, Omar said he had travelled from Srinagar to Jammu only to seek the people’s approval before taking the movement to the national capital.

“I have come to Jammu today from Srinagar just to seek your permission to knock on the doors of the country’s capital for the restoration of statehood. We do not know when their appropriate time will come, but we will keep knocking on their doors and continue fighting for our rights,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the overwhelming participation in the rally had demonstrated that people from both the Jammu and Kashmir regions stood united on the issue.

“The huge gathering here has made it clear that people from both Jammu and Kashmir will no longer remain silent. They are ready to fight for the restoration of statehood,” he said.

Omar also accused the BJP of indulging in “backdoor politics” while rejecting allegations levelled against the National Conference over backdoor appointments.

“We are being blamed for backdoor entries, but it is the BJP that has mastered backdoor politics for the sake of power. Look at what they have done to the parties of Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and the Aam Aadmi Party in neighbouring Punjab,” he alleged.

He questioned the purpose of holding Assembly elections if the elected government continued to function without full powers.

“What was the point of holding Assembly elections if the government had to function from the Raj Bhawan? We trusted your assurance that statehood would be restored without delay,” he said.

Stating that his government was trying its best despite the limitations of being a union Territory, Omar Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir needed the powers and administrative structure of a full-fledged state to accelerate development.

“We are making every effort to perform as a union Territory, but the level of development required for a state is not possible under the present arrangement. We will not betray the people and will fulfil every promise made by the National Conference,” he added.

UNI

The heavy rainfall in Pahalgam, reportedly triggered by a localised cloudburst, struck the forest areas of Awoora and Dehwathu on Saturday evening, resulting in flash floods in a stream that flows through the area before joining the Lidder Nallah at Batkoot.

The floodwaters inundated at least half a dozen hotels. Several hotel buildings and residential houses also suffered damage.

Water levels in both the Sheshnag Nallah and the Lidder Nallah rose sharply following the downpour. However, officials said that both streams were flowing below their respective alarm levels.

Other weather stations that recorded significant rainfall in Kashmir include Sonamarg 21.0 mm, Gulmarg 11.8 mm and Baramulla 5.5 mm. Most other parts of the union territory recorded either light rainfall or dry weather during the period.

The Meteorological Department has forecast fairly widespread to scattered light rain and thunderstorms across Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, with isolated areas likely to witness brief intense showers.

According to the MeT Department, weather conditions from July 13 to 17 are expected to remain generally hot and humid, although scattered places are likely to experience brief spells of rain and thundershowers. Isolated locations in the Jammu division may witness short-duration but intense showers during this period.

The department has also predicted a fresh spell of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places across Jammu and Kashmir from July 18 to 20.

UNI

Addressing National Conference workers on the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and revered by party workers as Madar-e-Meharban (Mother of Compassion), Omar said he had initially chosen the path of dialogue with the Centre in the hope that it would honour its commitment on statehood.

Paying tributes to his grandmother, Omar said the biggest lesson he learnt from her was patience despite the many political crises she witnessed, including Sheikh Abdullah’s imprisonment, the split in the National Conference in 1984 and the turmoil of the 1990s.

“The biggest lesson she has taught me is patience. If we want to pay tribute to Madar-e-Meharban in the right way, we will have to remember the path of patience that she showed us,” he said.
At the same time, he asserted that “the path of patience is not the path of weakness. The path of patience is not the path of silence… This patience is our strength. This patience is our voice.”
Questioning the delay in restoring statehood, Omar said, “It has been nearly two years to our government. After all, why are we talking about protesting in Jantar Mantar today? What happened?”
“I am the man who, for nearly two years, put his political fate and reputation at stake and told the Centre that we want to get our rights through dialogue, not by fighting,” he said.

Referring to the Centre’s assurances after the abrogation of Article 370, Omar said the promise was to restore normalcy in three stages — delimitation, Assembly elections and restoration of statehood.
“Delimitation happened… Elections were held. Now what is our fault in this? That the people of Jammu and Kashmir gave us the responsibility of the government,” he said.

Claiming the delimitation exercise was aimed at benefiting the BJP, he said, “Their aim was that somehow, by killing democracy, they wanted to rule here. But the people of Jammu and Kashmir turned out to be much smarter than them.”

The chief minister also alleged that despite an elected government being in place, major decisions continued to remain with Raj Bhavan.
“Why did you make a government if you won’t let that government work?” he asked.

Drawing a comparison with Ladakh, Omar questioned why the Centre was willing to discuss constitutional safeguards there while Jammu and Kashmir continued to await restoration of statehood.

“We want a state… Why are you not ready to talk to us?” he said.
Omar Abdullah also accused the Centre of using the promise of restoring statehood as a recurring electoral plank while delaying its implementation, and asserted that his government would not allow panchayat and local body polls to be dictated solely by New Delhi.

He said if the Centre intended to restore statehood only after the BJP formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir, it should state so openly instead of “keeping people under deception”.
Referring to the Centre’s push for grassroots elections, he said the National Conference also favoured holding panchayat and local body polls but insisted the timing could not be decided unilaterally.

“You say panchayat and local body elections will be held at the right time. We also say they should be held, but we will also decide what the right time is. This right time runs from both sides,” Omar said. “You do not decide this right time alone. We can also decide what will be the right time. You are making fun of our patience, our decency, our silence.”
Omar also alleged attempts were being made to engineer defections in the National Conference, claiming a legislator had been offered “Rs 20-30 crores, one ministry, and statehood” if they switched sides.
“…You will not see anyone who is ready to sell their faith for 100 crores, not 20 crores,” he said.

Calling statehood a cause that transcended political parties, Omar appealed to all political parties to join the National Conference’s protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. He also asked party workers unable to travel to Delhi to organise demonstrations at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir.

“There should only be one slogan — that the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored. That’s it,” he said, adding that the future course of the agitation would depend on the Centre’s response.