Which of the following authors was conferred a knighthood by the British government in 2007 for services to literature?

Introduction / Context:
The British honours system confers titles such as knighthoods on individuals who have made significant contributions in fields like literature, science, and public service. In 2007, one of the most discussed literary honours was a knighthood for a novelist of South Asian origin. This question checks whether you can identify that author, which is a common fact in international and literary general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The year of the honour is 2007.
• The honour is a knighthood by the British government.
• The field is literature.
• The options include well known authors such as Salman Rushdie, V S Naipaul, Chetan Bhagat, Khushwant Singh, and Arundhati Roy.

Concept / Approach:
The central idea is to connect the year and the type of honour with the correct author. Salman Rushdie, known for works like Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses, was knighted in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to literature. Although V S Naipaul also received a knighthood, that occurred earlier in 1990. The other Indian authors mentioned have won important awards but have not received British knighthoods of this type.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the year 2007 and the word knighthood. Step 2: Recall publicity around Salman Rushdie receiving a knighthood in 2007 and the debates and reactions that followed. Step 3: Note that V S Naipaul had already been knighted earlier and thus does not match the 2007 date. Step 4: Recognise that Chetan Bhagat, Khushwant Singh, and Arundhati Roy are not associated with British knighthoods. Step 5: Select “Salman Rushdie” as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, remember that news reports at the time highlighted controversy around the knighthood given to Rushdie due to reactions from some groups. The British honours list for 2007 clearly records his name as a Knight Bachelor. While Naipaul is styled Sir V S Naipaul, his knighthood predates 2007, which rules him out for this question. Checking standard GK compilations confirms Salman Rushdie as the 2007 literary knighthood recipient.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
V S Naipaul: He did receive a knighthood, but it was in 1990, not in 2007, so the year does not match the question.
Chetan Bhagat: A popular Indian novelist, but he has not been knighted by the British government.
Khushwant Singh: A renowned Indian writer and journalist, honoured in other ways but not with a British knighthood in 2007.
Arundhati Roy: Booker Prize winning Indian author, but not a British knight and therefore not the answer here.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical confusion is between Salman Rushdie and V S Naipaul, since both are major literary figures with British links. Another mistake is to ignore the specific year and simply pick any famous author. Always pay attention to both the honour type and the date mentioned in the question to avoid such errors.

Final Answer:
The author who was knighted by the British government in 2007 for services to literature is Salman Rushdie.