Jammu and Kashmir Reports Withdrawal of 4,767 Books

The Jammu and Kashmir government told the Legislative Assembly that it had examined 2,181,582 books and publications, withdrawn 4,249 non-banned books from circulation and removed 518 copies of 19 banned titles. It also referred 1,752 books for expert examination, according to its written reply. The review remains ongoing, and the government has not disclosed the titles of the 4,249 withdrawn books or the specific reasons for their removal. The reply, delivered on September 22, said the screening covered 1,248,641 books and publications in Kashmir and 932,941 in Jammu. Of the non-banned books withdrawn, 3,996 were from Kashmir and 253 from Jammu, according to the government’s breakdown. The separate figure of 518 refers to copies of titles already banned under an order dated August 5, 2025. The reported figures have not been fully reconciled: some accounts describe 4,767 books withdrawn overall, while the reply’s separate categories add to 4,767 only if the 4,249 non-banned books and 518 banned copies are counted together. The available information does not clarify whether all figures count the same units or categories.