Aj ( Hindi : आज) is a Hindi newspaper published in 11 cities in the Indian states of Bihar , Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh . The main edition is in Benares (Varanasi). In addition, the newspaper is published in Kanpur , Patna , Gorakhpur , Allahabad , Agra , Ranchi , Jamshedpur , Dhanbad , Lucknow and Bareilly. The newspaper was founded in 1920 by Shiv Prasad Gupta . It contributed to the popularity of Hindi literature with the Indian people. The daily newspaper is published by Jnanamandal Limited. The grandson of Gupta, Shardul Vikram Gupta, is the editor of the newspaper in 2013.