Famous poet and former lecturer of Urdu at the Aligarh Muslim University, Bashir Badr, received his PhD degree from AMU after 46 years. Badr had completed his PhD from the university in 1973; he was not able to receive the same as he's suffering from dementia.
Badr has served as the chairman of the Urdu Academy. He received Padma Shree in 1999 for his literary work and contributions towards Sangeet Natak Akademi. Badr, also, received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu in 1999.
In the 1987 Meerut riots, his home was reduced to ashes. He lost all his belongings, which were looted before his house was set ablaze. Badr lost a lot of unpublished work in the flames.
A photo of the poet is viral on social media, in which he's seen hugging the degree from the university.
Badr's work has been highly acclaimed, he's one of the most popular poets in Indian pop-culture. Masaan, a film made in 2015, contains the poetry of Badr along with other legendary poets. Another film named 'Dedh Ishqiya' also featured a few famous couplets of the famous poet.
Badr has published seven collections of Ghazals. He has also written two books of Urdu literary criticism. 'Ujale Apni Yadon ke' became a title for a radio show in Vivid Bharti.