Who was appointed as the first Chairman of the Disinvestment Commission in India?

Introduction / Context:

As India moved towards liberalisation and economic reforms in the 1990s, disinvestment of public sector undertakings became an important policy tool. To provide expert advice and structured recommendations on disinvestment, the Government of India set up a Disinvestment Commission. Knowing key personalities associated with this phase of economic policy is a common requirement in general knowledge and Indian polity questions. This question asks you to recall who served as the first Chairman of the Disinvestment Commission.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is the Disinvestment Commission formed by the Government of India.
• We are asked specifically about the first Chairman of this Commission.
• Options include well known political leaders and economists, many of whom served in various high offices.
• We assume the context of the 1990s economic reform period.

Concept / Approach:

To answer such personality based questions, you need to connect the individual with the role and the time period. The Disinvestment Commission was set up in the mid 1990s, and G. V. Ramakrishna, a distinguished civil servant who earlier served as Chairman of SEBI, was appointed as its first Chairman. Other names in the options are prominent figures, but their major roles were in different institutions or capacities, which helps you eliminate them if you know their main associations.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

You can cross verify by aligning the timeline. Disinvestment as a formal structured policy gained prominence after the 1991 economic reforms. G. V. Ramakrishna served in key regulatory roles around this period, especially as Chairperson of SEBI and then as the first Chairperson of the Disinvestment Commission. The other options achieved prominence in different time frames or roles that are not directly connected to disinvestment policy. This timeline check further confirms that G. V. Ramakrishna is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Madhu Dandavate, while an important political leader and minister, was not associated with the Disinvestment Commission. C. Rangarajan is known chiefly as a central banker and economic adviser, not a disinvestment head. Indira Gandhi was a Prime Minister during a period when public sector expansion, not disinvestment, was the general policy. Montek Singh Ahluwalia is famous for his role in the Planning Commission and for contributing to economic planning and reforms, rather than chairing the Disinvestment Commission. Therefore, none of these names match the specific role asked in the question.

Common Pitfalls:

A frequent mistake is to pick a very famous economist like C. Rangarajan or Montek Singh Ahluwalia simply because the question involves economic reforms. Another error is to over associate any reform related body with well known political leaders like Indira Gandhi. To avoid these mistakes, try to form clear mental links between institutions and their key heads: SEBI and Disinvestment Commission with G. V. Ramakrishna, RBI with C. Rangarajan, and Planning Commission with Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Final Answer:

The first Chairman of the Disinvestment Commission in India was G. V. Ramakrishna.