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Yami Gautam is an Indian actress who came into prominence after being chosen as the face of the popular skin-lightening cosmetic product Fair & Lovely. Also known for her good looks, Yami Gautam frequently appears on lists, such as Times of India's Most Desirable Woman.
Supreme Court lawyer and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had held several ministries, such as external affairs and information and broadcasting. Named India’s “best loved politician” by Wall Street Journal, Swaraj was known for her prompt assistance to Indians in emergency situations abroad and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
The 13th Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh became the first Sikh in office when he took office in 2004. A prominent economist and academic, he held several key posts in the Government of India in the 1970s and 1980s. Known for his humility, he has been described by the media as "one of the world's most revered leaders."
Kiran Bedi is an Indian police officer and social activist. In 1972, she became the first Indian woman to serve as an officer in the Indian Police Service. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, playing an important role in the development of the Indian Union Territory. Her life has inspired many films, including Karthavyam.
I. K. Gujral had served as the prime minister of India for less than a year in the late 1990s but has been widely discussed for his Gujral doctrine, which focused on maintaining peace with the neighboring countries. A lover of Urdu poetry, he was married to poet Sheila Gujral.
Babbu Maan is an Indian singer, actor, and songwriter. Apart from working in the Punjabi music industry, he has also contributed to the soundtracks of Bollywood films. In 2010, he was honored at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards with the Best International Artist award. He also serves as the ambassador for a non-profit organization called One Hope, One Chance.
Renowned history scholar and JNU professor Romila Thapar has also taught at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. She has previously been in the news for rejecting the Padma Bhushan twice, stating she didn’t accept state awards. She has also often opposed Hindutva and the “saffronization” of education.
Nuruddin Farah is a Somali novelist best known for his book, From a Crooked Rib. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of his generation, Farah has received several prestigious awards, such as the Kurt Tucholsky Prize, Neustadt International Prize for Literature, and Lettre Ulysses Award. Nuruddin Farah has also received several nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Former editor-in-chief of The Indian Express, Padma Bhushan-winning journalist Shekhar Gupta is also the founder of the online publication ThePrint. Known for his political journalism and his weekly column National Interest, he also hosted Walk The Talk on NDTV for 15 years. He has penned books such as India Redefines Its Role.
Irshad Kamil is an Indian lyricist and poet best known for writing lyrics for songs in the Hindi film industry. Renowned for his work in films like Jab We Met, Raanjhanaa, and Aashiqui 2, Kamil is one of the most decorated Hindi lyricists of his generation.
Once the editor-in-chief of Tehelka, which was known for its high-profile sting operations, Tarun Tejpal had started his career as an Indian Express journalist. He also penned the best-selling novel The Alchemy of Desire, but his career hit a downward spiral after he was accused in a sensational sexual assault case.
Known as the father of modern legal education, N. R. Madhava Menon established the National Law Universities and was the first director of the NLSIU. The Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning lawyer formed the 5-year Indian LLB program and had also penned numerous books on law.
