In the context of Indian public policy, the Ramanujam committee was constituted for which main purpose?

Introduction / Context:
This question is about a specific committee formed by the Government of India known as the Ramanujam committee. Various expert committees are set up from time to time to examine issues like economic reforms, legal reforms, banking, and social problems. For competitive examinations it is important to match the correct mandate with the correct committee so that you do not confuse one reform initiative with another.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The Ramanujam committee is the committee under discussion.
• Several possible areas of work are suggested in the options, such as child trafficking, corruption in banks, foreign trade, and obsolete laws.
• Only one of these areas correctly reflects the main function of the Ramanujam committee.
• We assume a basic awareness of major committees on legal and governance reforms.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall that the Ramanujam committee was set up to review and recommend the repeal or amendment of obsolete, redundant and unnecessary laws that were still technically in force. Over time, many old laws remain on the statute books even though they are no longer relevant. The committee studied such laws and suggested how to streamline the legal framework. It was not specifically formed to deal with child trafficking, bank corruption or foreign trade regulation, so those options can be eliminated.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is about a government appointed committee focused on reforms.Step 2: Recall that Ramanujam committee is most closely linked with legal reforms and cleaning up the statute books.Step 3: Consider option A about child trafficking and note that specialised child protection commissions and other bodies typically address that topic, not a law rationalisation committee.Step 4: Consider option B about checking corruption in banks and remember that other committees and regulatory bodies deal with banking oversight, not Ramanujam committee.Step 5: Consider option C about foreign trade and recall that foreign trade is handled by bodies like the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and other committees, not primarily the Ramanujam committee.Step 6: Recognise that option D about avoiding or removing obsolete laws matches the legal reform mandate of the Ramanujam committee.

Verification / Alternative check:
A verification method is to remember media reports that often mentioned the committee in connection with clearing away a large number of old Acts and regulations that had become irrelevant or burdensome. The focus was on rationalising and modernising the legal framework to improve ease of doing business and reduce legal clutter. No major announcement connects the Ramanujam committee with the specific topics of child trafficking, banking corruption or foreign trade supervision, which supports the choice of obsolete laws as the core purpose.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• To keep a check on child trafficking is wrong because that sensitive issue is usually handled by specialised child protection bodies, law enforcement, and social welfare agencies, not a law repeal committee.
• To check corruption in banks is wrong because this field falls under the domain of banking regulators, vigilance bodies and anti corruption agencies.
• To oversee foreign trade is wrong because foreign trade policy is dealt with by dedicated trade departments and committees, whereas Ramanujam committee focused on legal clean up.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often memorise committee names without firmly associating them with their mandates, which leads to confusion when similar sounding issues appear in options. Another pitfall is to select options that feel more dramatic, such as child trafficking or bank corruption, instead of the relatively technical issue of obsolete laws. To avoid this, always link committee names with their specific objective and practise a table of important committees and their functions.

Final Answer:
To identify and avoid obsolete laws is the correct description of the purpose for which the Ramanujam committee was constituted.