Which Indian economist received the “Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018” for contributions to economic development?

Introduction / Context:
Awards like the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award recognize individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as politics, economics, and social development. For competitive exams and general knowledge, it is important to remember which personalities received specific awards in particular years. This question asks about the Indian economist who received the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award for the year 2018, specifically for contributions to economic development, which is a frequently asked fact in current affairs sections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award mentioned is the “Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018”.
• The field of recognition is economic development.
• The options given are well-known Indian economists or economic policymakers.
• We assume the question refers to official, widely reported information from that period.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this GK question, you should recall major awards and honours received by prominent Indian economists around 2018. Raghuram Rajan is a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and a globally respected economist. Manmohan Singh is a former Prime Minister and also a renowned economist. Gita Gopinath has served as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund, and Urjit Patel is another former RBI Governor. Among these, it was Raghuram Rajan who was specifically announced as the recipient of the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018 for his contribution to economic development.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the news items from 2018 related to the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award. Step 2: Identify that the award for 2018 was given for contributions to economic development. Step 3: Remember that former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan was widely reported as receiving this award. Step 4: Cross-check mentally that Manmohan Singh, Gita Gopinath, and Urjit Patel were not associated with this specific award in 2018. Step 5: Based on this, choose “Raghuram Rajan” as the correct answer from the options.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this information by recalling coverage in newspapers, government press releases, or trusted current affairs compilations. These sources clearly mention that Raghuram Rajan was chosen for the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018 due to his notable contribution in the field of economics and economic policy, especially as RBI Governor. Such questions are standard in banking, civil services, and SSC exams, making it important to memorize the awardee and year correctly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Manmohan Singh: Although a distinguished economist and former Prime Minister, he was not the recipient of this particular 2018 award. Gita Gopinath: She is a prominent economist and later became IMF's Chief Economist, but she did not receive the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018. Urjit Patel: He served as RBI Governor after Raghuram Rajan, yet this specific award in 2018 was not conferred upon him.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse different awards or mix up the years associated with each economist. Another common error is to select Manmohan Singh simply because he is a very famous economist and former Prime Minister, without paying attention to the year 2018. To avoid such mistakes, maintain a brief list of “Award – Year – Recipient” pairs for major national awards that regularly appear in competitive exams. Proper revision close to the exam date also helps keep these facts fresh.

Final Answer:
The economist who received the “Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018” for contributions to economic development is Raghuram Rajan.