Allahabad University

A pioneer of Hindi romantic poetry and the Chhayavaad movement, Harivanshrai Bachchan is best remembered for his book of 135 quatrains, Madhushala. He was the first Indian to earn a PhD in English literature from Cambridge University. He was also the father of legendary Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan.

Harish-Chandra was an Indian American physicist and mathematician whose contributions to representation theory made him one of the most prominent mathematicians of the 20th century. Over the course of his illustrious career, Harish-Chandra was honored with several prestigious awards, such as the Frank Nelson Cole Prize and Srinivasa Ramanujan Medal. In 1977, he received India's third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan.

V. P. Singh served as the Indian prime minister briefly between 1989 and 1990. The Raja Bahadur of Manda, he was the only Indian prime minister who was also a former king. Initially a Congress member, he later established the Janata Dal. He was married to the Raja of Deogarh’s daughter.

Padma Shree- and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-winning Hindi poet and playwright Dharamvir Bharati had penned iconic novels such as Suraj ka Satwan Ghoda and Gunaho Ka Devta. A PhD in Hindi from Allahabad University, he had also been a lecturer and the chief editor of Dharmayug.

Hindi author Kamleshwar began his career as a proof-reader and editor. He remains best known for his iconic novel Kitne Pakistan, or Partitions, which won him a Sahitya Akademi Award. He also won a Padma Bhushan for his works and penned scripts of several hit Hindi films, such as Aandhi.

Bhagwati Charan Verma was an Indian writer best remembered for his 1934 novel Chitralekha, which was adapted into two films of the same name in 1941 and 1964. He is also remembered for his five-part novel Bhoole Bisre Chitra which earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961. In 1971, Verma was awarded India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.

Known as the first Indian chess master according to the modern tradition, Manuel Aaron was also the first Indian chess player to be named an International Master. Born in Burma, he grew up in Tamil Nadu, India. The nine-time National Champion has also written for The Hindu.

Sarat Kumar Kar was a writer and politician hailing from Odisha, India. A member of the Lok Sabha, he was elected thrice to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Mahanga. When he was a young man, he met Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri who inspired him to join politics. As a writer, he wrote numerous articles and poetry.