Who was the first Indian woman to receive the Norman Borlaug Award, and in which year was it conferred?

Introduction / Context:
The Norman Borlaug Award, popularly known as the Borlaug Award, honours individuals for outstanding contributions to agriculture and food security. The question focuses on the first Indian woman to receive this award and the year of recognition. This is important for general knowledge concerning women achievers in science and agriculture.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the Norman Borlaug Award.
• We need the first Indian woman recipient.
• The year of receiving the award must also be correctly identified.

Concept / Approach:
Dr Amrita V Patel, associated with the National Dairy Development Board and cooperative dairy movement after Dr Verghese Kurien, was the first Indian woman to receive the Borlaug Award. The year widely associated with this honour is nineteen ninety one. Therefore, the combined statement Dr Amrita V Patel, 1991 is the correct choice among the options provided.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the name of the first Indian woman linked with the Borlaug Award. Step 2: Identify Amrita V Patel as the correct full name. Step 3: Remember that the award was conferred in the early nineteen nineties, specifically nineteen ninety one. Step 4: Compare this information with each option, checking both name and year. Step 5: Select option a, Dr Amrita V Patel, 1991, as it matches both conditions.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider her contributions in promoting the dairy cooperative model and rural development, which aligns with the spirit of the Borlaug Award that recognises efforts to enhance food security and agriculture. Other names and date combinations in the options either contain a different first name or a different year and therefore do not match the well documented facts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dr Amrita V Patel, 1992: Correct person but wrong year, so the combined statement is incorrect.
Dr Madhuri V Patel, 1991: The first name is not correct according to known records, even though the year is right in isolation.
Dr Madhuri V Patel, 1992: Both name and year differ from the correct historical details.
Dr Manju Sharma, 1995: Although Manju Sharma is a known scientist, she is not cited as the first Indian woman to receive this award in the given context.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners may confuse Amrita with slightly different spellings or may remember only the surname Patel and pick any option with that name. Another pitfall is focusing on the approximate period and accidentally choosing nineteen ninety two instead of nineteen ninety one. It is important to match both the correct full name and the precise year.

Final Answer:
The first Indian woman to receive the Norman Borlaug Award was Dr Amrita V Patel in 1991.