The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended the tenure of which officer as Chairman of the Railway Board for two additional years with effect from 1 August 2016?

Introduction / Context:
The Railway Board is the apex decision making body for Indian Railways, and the Chairman of the Railway Board plays a key leadership role in planning, safety, finance, and day to day management. Senior appointments such as the Chairman are approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. This question checks factual knowledge about a specific extension of tenure granted in 2016 to the sitting Chairman of the Railway Board.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended the tenure of a Chairman, Railway Board.
- The extension was for two years with effect from 1 August 2016.
- The four options are S. K. Roy, Arunendra Kumar, Deepak Gupta, and A. K. Mittal.
- We assume that only one of these individuals was serving as Chairman, Railway Board at that time and had a tenure extension.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, we need awareness of recent administrative appointments in Indian Railways. A. K. Mittal was appointed Chairman, Railway Board and his tenure was extended by the Appointments Committee. Remembering this association between the name and the position during that period enables us to identify the correct option. The other names in the options refer to important public officials in other sectors or at other times.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that A. K. Mittal served as Chairman of the Railway Board around 2014 to 2017. Step 2: Note that in 2016, the Appointments Committee extended his tenure beyond his original retirement date. Step 3: Check the date mentioned in the question, 1 August 2016, which matches news reports about the extension of A. K. Mittal tenure. Step 4: Compare this information with the list of options and see that A. K. Mittal fits these details. Step 5: Conclude that the only correct option is A. K. Mittal.

Verification / Alternative Check:
A quick mental verification can be done by recalling the approximate positions of the other names. Arunendra Kumar had served earlier as Chairman, Railway Board but not in the period where a tenure extension for two years from August 2016 was in the news. Deepak Gupta is associated more with the Union Public Service Commission. S. K. Roy is linked with the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Hence, the description in the question best matches A. K. Mittal, confirming our answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
S. K. Roy: Known mainly as a former chairman of the Life Insurance Corporation of India, not the Railway Board.
Arunendra Kumar: A former Chairman, Railway Board, but his tenure and extension details do not align with the two year extension from 1 August 2016 described here.
Deepak Gupta: Associated with the Union Public Service Commission and other roles, not the chairmanship of the Railway Board during this period.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse different high ranking officers because many names appear in current affairs. Another common error is to recall that Arunendra Kumar was a Chairman and select his name without paying attention to the specific year and extension mentioned. It is important to read the date clue in the question carefully and connect it with the correct person.

Final Answer:
The officer whose tenure as Chairman, Railway Board was extended by two years from 1 August 2016 was A. K. Mittal.