Jammu and Kashmir: Seven years under Union Rule – Freedom of Speech, Expression and Education

Censorship: Books ban On August 5, 2026, the Jammu and Kashmir administration banned publication, possession and circulation of 25 books in the former state, alleging that they propagate “false narratives” and “secessionism”, misguide youth, glorify terrorism and incite violence against the Indian State. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning those books. The banned books include works by Booker Prize-winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, editor of The Kashmir Times Anuradha Bhasin, and scholars such as Stephen B. Cohen, Sumantra and Sugata Bose, Christopher Sneddon and Victoria Schofield

The ban was followed by police raids on bookstores with the objective to “identify, seize, and forfeit any literature that propagates or systematically disseminates false narratives, promotes secessionist ideologies, or otherwise poses a threat to the sovereignty and unity of India”.

Withdrawal of two books by the Education Ministry On July 4, the Jammu and Kashmir Education Department suspended 8 employees, terminated the employment of a contractual employee and ordered an enquiry into the approval and distribution of two books held to glorify separatists and convicted terrorist Maqbool Bhatt, under the Samagra Shiksha program. The authors of the two books, Hilal Ahmed and Santosh Meena, and Sushant Giri, and publishers Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Anurag Prakashan Delhi, have been blacklisted.

MBBS course closed under pressure On January 6, 2026, the National Medical Commission withdrew the Letter of Permission that was granted to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to run an MBBS course for the 2025-26 academic session, citing serious deficiencies in its infrastructure. The permission was withdrawn without any opportunity to the Institute to be heard and with no scope of appeal. The Letter of Permission was granted only 4 months before the withdrawal, after satisfaction of all conditions required for permission. The withdrawal is an apparent capitulation to protests by right-wing Hindu groups which broke out when an overwhelming majority of Muslim students (44 out of 50) got admission in the course through a fair eligibility test. Protesters argued that the college was set up with donations to the Vaishno Devi shrine by Hindu pilgrims from across the country and this should reflect in the selection of students.

After the abrupt shutting down of the course, students were redistributed to other medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. Of the 50 students, 22 were assigned to Government Medical Colleges in Anantnag, Baramulla and Handwara in Kashmir, and 28 to Government Medical Colleges in Udhampur, Kathua, Rajouri and Doda in Jammu. All Kashmiri students have now been accommodated in either Kashmir or in Government Medical Colleges in areas where Muslims are in significant numbers.

58 Jamaat-e-Islami linked schools taken over Continuing the takeover of private schools run by the Falah-e-Aam, a trust linked to Jammu and Kashmir’s banned Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jammu and Kashmir administration took over management of another 58 schools in North Kashmir.75

Internet shutdowns India imposed 65 internet shutdowns in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025. According to the Software Freedom Law Center, Kashmir comprises more than 60% of the internet shutdown incidents in the country apart from suffering the world’s longest internet shutdown of 552 days after revocation of Article 370. On December 29, 2025, a two-month ban was imposed on VPN use in Jammu and Kashmir. Following this order, the police penalised around 800 users, including unaccounted phone searches for banned applications. In 2026 alone telephonic communication in Kashmir has been stalled several times, including from 29th to 30th January, claiming deterioration of public order and unrest, and 1st to 4th March for public order and safety following the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Press freedom On September 30, 2025, the international journalists group Reporters Without Borders reported that journalists in Jammu and Kashmir now routinely avoid sensitive topics such as human rights abuses, security operations and dissent to avert reprisals, including arrest by the security forces. Reporters who still attempt to cover these issues remain under constant surveillance and risk arrest.

Bail for human rights campaigner Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Meraj On March 17, 2026, almost three dozen international rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists, wrote to the Government of India seeking release of journalist Irfan Mehraj, arrested in March 2023 (as reported by the Forum’s 2024 report) and charged under the UAPA, of several offenses, including raising funds for terrorist acts, conspiring to commit a terrorist act, membership in a terrorist organization, and providing support or financial assistance to such groups; also charged under Sections 120-B and 124-A of the Indian Penal Code, for criminal conspiracy and inciting disaffection toward the government.79

On June 10, 2026, Kashmiri human rights campaigner Khurram Parvez was granted bail in a terror funding case under the UAPA by the Delhi High Court, after 4 and half years of incarceration. Bail was granted primarily for prolonged incarceration with no likelihood of trial concluding in the near future. The court also analysed the evidence presented against him and did not find a prima facie case, however, it fell short of expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations. Despite being granted bail in this case, Khurram Parvez remained in jail on another case. On July 18, the Delhi trial court ordered bail in the second case too, along with bail to journalist Irfan Meraj; though the NIA appealed to the Delhi High Court against bail for Parvez and Meraj, the Court refused to stay the trial court’s order. Parvez has been in jail for 15 months and Meraj for 39.

FIR for social media post On May 11, 2026, X withheld PDP leader Iltija Mufti’s X handle, with the message: “In response to a legal demand”. Days earlier, the Kashmir cyber police had registered an FIR against unnamed individuals for posting a video of the late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on social media, in which he highlighted the need to preserve the Urdu language and alleged a conspiracy in India to make it irrelevant. The video had been shared by Iltija Mufti even though she is not named in the FIR.

Click here to see all references and to download the full report: 2026 JK HR Report Final