Who is the author of the poetry collection "Central Time"?

Introduction / Context:
"Central Time" is a contemporary poetry collection that sometimes appears in modern books and authors questions. It is less famous than classical works, which makes this question a useful way to test whether students stay updated with newer Indian English writing. The task is to pick the correct modern poet, Ranjit Hoskote, from among a group of well known Indian authors and poets.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The work referred to is a poetry collection titled "Central Time".
• All options are Indian or India linked writers, some primarily novelists and some poets.
• The question focuses on the original author who wrote and published this particular collection.
• Exactly one name is correct for this book.

Concept / Approach:
The idea tested here is recognition of contemporary Indian English poetry. Ranjit Hoskote is an established poet, critic, and curator. His work often explores art, history, and memory, and "Central Time" is one of his collections. In contrast, authors like Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Chandra are mainly novelists, while Jeet Thayil and Arundhathi Subramaniam are poets linked to different titles. The method is to separate novelists from poets and then match the correct poet to the specific book.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the question explicitly mentions a poetry collection, so we focus on writers known for poetry. Step 2: Amitav Ghosh is best known for novels such as "The Shadow Lines" and "Sea of Poppies", not for "Central Time". Step 3: Vikram Chandra is a novelist and short story writer associated with "Sacred Games" and "Love and Longing in Bombay". Step 4: Jeet Thayil is a poet and novelist, but his famous works include "Narcopolis" and other poetry collections with different titles. Step 5: Arundhathi Subramaniam is also a poet, but she is linked with collections like "When God Is a Traveller". Step 6: Ranjit Hoskote is a respected Indian poet and critic known for multiple collections, including "Central Time". Step 7: Since only Ranjit Hoskote clearly matches this specific book title, we select him as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative Check:
To verify, one could recall book catalogues from publishers of Indian English poetry, which usually list "Central Time" under Ranjit Hoskote's name. Exam preparatory material covering recent books and authors also frequently mentions the pair "Central Time – Ranjit Hoskote". No credible list associates this title with any of the other names in the options, confirming that Hoskote is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Amitav Ghosh focuses on historical and political novels rather than this poetry collection. Vikram Chandra is known for fiction writing and has no famous poetry collection titled "Central Time". Jeet Thayil, while being a poet, is connected with different titles in both poetry and fiction. Arundhathi Subramaniam writes poetry and prose, but her main collections have different names.

Common Pitfalls:
Since several options are contemporary literary figures, learners may guess any poet without differentiating their specific works. Another common mistake is confusing "Central Time" with other abstract sounding titles that belong to different poets. To avoid such errors, aspirants should maintain and periodically revise a list that links newer titles with their authors, especially when those books are commonly asked in recent exams.

Final Answer:
The poetry collection "Central Time" was written by Ranjit Hoskote.