Rakesh Batabyal teaches the history, theory and philosophy of media at the Centre for Media Studies, JNU. A scholar of modern history, his books, Communalism in Bengal: From Famine to Noakhali, 1943–47 (2005), JNU: The Making of a University (2015), and The Modern School (1920–2020) (2020), have provided a framework for the writing of the history of ideology and institutions in modern India. His The Penguin Book of Modern Indian Speeches (2007) is widely accepted as the most important work in the genre.

Ashok Vajpeyi is a poet, essayist and literary critic, apart from being a noted cultural and arts administrator, and a former civil servant. He was chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi, from 2008 to 2011. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1994 for his poetry collection, Kahin Nahin Wahin. His other notable poetry collections include Shaher Ab Bhi Sambhavana Hai, Tatpurush, Ummeed ka Doosra Naam and Vivaksha. He has also published works on literary and art criticism: Filhal, Kuchh Poorvagrah, Samay se Bahar, Kavita ka Galp and Sidhiyan Shuru ho Gayi Hain. He is among those who returned their awards to mark their protest against the Sahitya Akademi’s silence on the murder of the rationalist M.M. Kalburgi.