Who was the first Asian to head the prestigious Trinity College at the University of Cambridge?

Introduction / Context:
Trinity College at the University of Cambridge is one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, and its leadership history often appears in competitive examinations on general knowledge and international personalities. Knowing who became the first Asian to head such an institution tests awareness of modern educational history and the global recognition of Asian scholars. In this question, the focus is on identifying the first Asian, and specifically the first Indian, who became Master of Trinity College at Cambridge University, which is a landmark achievement in academia.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The question is about Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. • It asks for the first Asian to head this college. • The options list well known Indian and South Asian writers and economists. • We assume that the term head refers to the position of Master of Trinity College.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this type of question, the approach is to connect famous personalities with the posts they have held. Trinity College has traditionally been headed by distinguished British academics. However, in the late twentieth century, an eminent Indian economist and Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, Amartya Sen, was appointed Master of Trinity College. He became the first Asian to hold that position and the first Indian academic to head any Oxbridge college, which is why his name is strongly associated with this milestone in higher education history.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the stem carefully and note the keywords Trinity College, Cambridge, first Asian, and head of the college. Step 2: Recall that Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize winning economist from India, served as Master of Trinity College from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Step 3: Check the options and see that Amartya Sen is listed, along with other distinguished Indians like Dr I G Patel and well known authors such as Romesh Gunesekera and Bhabani Bhattacharya. Step 4: Match the known fact that Amartya Sen was the first Asian and first Indian academic to head an Oxbridge college with the requirement of the question. Step 5: Conclude that Amartya Sen is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A reliable way to verify this answer is to consult authoritative biographies or institutional histories of Trinity College and the University of Cambridge. They record that Amartya Sen served as Master of Trinity College from 1998 to 2004 and was described as the first Indian academic and first Asian to head an Oxbridge college. Cross checking multiple sources that discuss his tenure as Master and his distinction as the first Asian head of the college confirms that no earlier Asian scholar held this position, which supports the choice of Amartya Sen as the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Dr I G Patel was a distinguished economist and former director of the London School of Economics, but he did not become Master of Trinity College at Cambridge. • Romesh Gunesekera is a noted Sri Lankan British author known for his novels and short stories, not for heading Trinity College. • Bhabani Bhattacharya was an Indian novelist and academic, but he never served as head of Trinity College. • Jagdish Bhagwati is a prominent economist associated with trade theory and Columbia University, not with leading Trinity College at Cambridge.

Common Pitfalls:
• Confusing any well known economist or writer with the specific role of Master of Trinity College. • Assuming that any Indian associated with a foreign university must have held this particular post. • Overlooking the phrase first Asian and focusing only on fame rather than on the exact administrative position.

Final Answer:
The first Asian to head the prestigious Trinity College at the University of Cambridge was Amartya Sen, who served as its Master and became the first Indian academic to lead an Oxbridge college.