Which Indian minister received the Carnot Prize for power sector reforms and rural electrification?

Introduction / Context:
The Carnot Prize is a prestigious international award given by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. It recognises outstanding contributions in the field of energy policy and leadership. An Indian minister received this prize for landmark power sector reforms and large scale rural electrification efforts. This question tests whether you can identify that minister correctly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the Carnot Prize.
• The reason mentioned is power sector reforms and rural electrification.
• Options include Piyush Goyal, Arun Jaitley, Amit Khare, and Ravi Shankar Prasad.
• Only one of these leaders is associated with this specific energy sector award.

Concept / Approach:
This is a current affairs and awards question. Piyush Goyal, who has served as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy, spearheaded important reforms like village electrification and schemes aimed at providing electricity to every household. For this reason, he was honoured with the Carnot Prize. Arun Jaitley was associated with finance, Amit Khare with education and administration, and Ravi Shankar Prasad with law and information technology. The approach is to link the award specifically to work in the power sector, pointing to Piyush Goyal.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the keywords “power reforms” and “rural electrification”. Step 2: Recall that Piyush Goyal played a leading role in schemes such as village electrification and Saubhagya. Step 3: Remember that he was recognised internationally with the Carnot Prize for these efforts. Step 4: Look at the options and identify Piyush Goyal as Option A. Step 5: Select Piyush Goyal as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, recall the portfolios held by each option. Arun Jaitley was primarily Finance Minister, linked to budget and economic policy, not directly to power sector reforms as a main portfolio. Ravi Shankar Prasad is known for his role in Law and IT, while Amit Khare is connected with education and administration. Only Piyush Goyal consistently appears in news about electrification, energy policy, and international recognition such as the Carnot Prize. This confirms Option A as correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Arun Jaitley: A key figure in finance and economic reforms, but he was not the recipient of the Carnot Prize for power reforms and rural electrification.
Amit Khare: Known for administrative roles and education policy, not for leading national power sector reforms recognised by this award.
Ravi Shankar Prasad: Associated with information technology and law, rather than with electrification initiatives at the scale indicated here.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may pick Arun Jaitley simply because of his prominence, or confuse different awards received by various ministers. Another pitfall is not paying attention to the specific sector mentioned—power and electrification. To avoid such errors, always align the award description with the minister's main portfolio and achievements; in this case, that clearly points to Piyush Goyal.

Final Answer:
Piyush Goyal