In April 2017, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh banned the inclusion of names of Ministers and MLAs on plaques and foundation stones in which Indian State?

Introduction / Context:

Indian politics and governance often feature news about measures taken by State governments to improve transparency and reduce political publicity. One such step was a decision by a Chief Minister to ban the practice of printing or engraving names of Ministers and Members of Legislative Assembly on plaques and foundation stones of public projects. This question tests your knowledge of a specific current affairs event relating to April 2017 and the State led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The time frame is April 2017.
• The decision was taken by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
• The policy targeted inclusion of names of Ministers and MLAs on plaques and foundation stones.
• You are asked to identify the Indian State where this decision was implemented.

Concept / Approach:

To answer this question, you must connect the political leader Amarinder Singh with the State he served as Chief Minister. Amarinder Singh is most closely associated with Punjab, where he has served as Chief Minister more than once. In April 2017, during his tenure, he announced that public projects in Punjab would no longer carry the names of Ministers or MLAs on plaques and foundation stones, stressing that such works should be seen as projects of the people and the State rather than of individual politicians. Recognising this association helps you directly link the decision to the State of Punjab.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Even if you do not recall the exact news report, you can verify the answer by asking which of the listed States has Amarinder Singh as a prominent political leader. Maharashtra is associated with leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray, Himachal Pradesh with leaders such as Virbhadra Singh and Jai Ram Thakur, and Uttar Pradesh with leaders like Yogi Adityanath. Amarinder Singh is widely known as a senior leader from Punjab. Therefore, cross-checking the known political leadership of each State supports the conclusion that the policy was introduced in Punjab.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A, Maharashtra, has its own political leadership and has not been associated with this specific 2017 decision under Amarinder Singh. Option C, Himachal Pradesh, also did not have Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister, and though States sometimes take similar steps, this particular measure was not attributed to Himachal Pradesh. Option D, Uttar Pradesh, has seen various reforms under its own leadership but is not the State connected to this specific decision involving Amarinder Singh. Thus, these options do not match the known political facts.

Common Pitfalls:

A frequent mistake is to answer based only on familiarity with bigger or more frequently mentioned States, such as Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh, without checking which leader is named in the question. Another error is to confuse Amarinder Singh with other leaders who share the same surname or to mix up his association with different regions. In polity and current affairs questions, carefully linking the individual leader to the correct State is crucial for accuracy.

Final Answer:

The ban on including names of Ministers and MLAs on plaques and foundation stones announced in April 2017 by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was implemented in the State of Punjab.