Professor Muzaffar Hanfi a prominent Urdu Poet, critic, writer was born on 1st April 1936 in Khandwa Madhya Pradesh. He acquired his earlier education in Madhya Pradesh and got several degrees like B.A,M.A,L.L.B and Ph.D from Aligarh and Barkatullah University,Bhopal. He started his career working for the Forest Dept of Madhya Pradesh and later joined Jamia Millia Islamia as a lecturer in Urdu Dept and retired in 2001 as Head of Urdu Dept. Muzaffar Hanfi received more than 35 awards from the various state academies and institutions of national importance. He was also the vice-president of the Indian Universities Urdu Teacher Association. He authored and edited more than 80 books in Urdu. Some of his important books published are Pani Ki Zaban,Tikhi Ghazlen,Sarir-e-khama, Parda Sukha ka,Khul Ja Sim Sim, Tilism-e-Shakshiyat, Naqd Reze, Tanqeedi abad, Shaad Aarfi-Shaksiyat Aur Fan (critism) etc.

Gopi Chand Narang is a major Urdu critic, theorist, and linguist. He has the distinction of being recognized by the Presidents of both India and Pakistan. A writer, literary critic and scholar, Prof. Narang is unique in holding this record. He was awarded the prestigous Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by the Government of Pakistan and Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri by the Government of India.

His works have brought him several other laurels also, some of which include the Mazzini Gold Medal from Italy, Amir Khusro Award from Chicago, Ghalib Award, the Canadian Academy of Urdu Language and Literature Award, and the European Urdu Writers Society Award. The Sahitya Akademi conferred on him its prestigious Fellowship in 2009. Narang has also authored books in Hindi and English. Some of his most famous books are Sakhtiyaat Pas-e-Sakhtiyaat, Urdu Ghazal Aur Hindustani Zehn o Tehzeeb, Urdu Ki Taleem Ke Lisaniyati Pehlu, and Urdu Language and Literature: Critical Perspectives etc. A strong advocate of Urdu, he rues the fact that this language has been a victim of politicization as he believes that Urdu has its roots in India and is a sister language of Hindi.