Romila Thapar was born on 30 November 1931 and is a distinguished Indian historian whose primary area of study is ancient India. She is the author of many significant books, including the popular classic A History of India, and is currently a Professor Emerita at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. She is a Fellow of the British Academy. In 2008, Professor Thapar was awarded the prestigious Kluge Prize by the US Library of Congress, which honors lifetime achievement in fields such as history that are not covered by the Nobel Prize.
Sundar Sarukkai is a philosopher whose interests primarily lie in the philosophy of the natural and social sciences.
Dhruv Raina is a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and has worked on the intellectual and social context of scientific thought.
Peter Ronald DeSouza is a professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and holds the Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair in the Rajya Sabha.
Neeladri Bhattacharya is a Professor of Modern History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Jawed Naqvi writes a weekly column from Delhi for both Indian and foreign newspapers, focusing on social disorders, human rights movements, and religious conflicts.