When Ram Nath Kovind became President of India in 2017 which senior civil servant was appointed to serve as his Secretary in the Rashtrapati Bhavan

Introduction / Context:
The President of India is assisted in official work by a team of senior officers at Rashtrapati Bhavan including a Secretary who coordinates administration and protocol. When Ram Nath Kovind assumed office as President in 2017 the Union Government appointed a former senior civil servant as his Secretary. This question tests your knowledge of important constitutional level appointments.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The appointment took place in 2017 when Ram Nath Kovind became President.
• The post is Secretary to the President of India.
• Four names are listed all associated with government or diplomatic roles.
• We assume basic awareness that senior retired officers are often appointed to such positions.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall news reports about the new team at Rashtrapati Bhavan after the change of President. The Secretary is usually a retired Indian Administrative Service officer of high rank. Among the names given one is strongly associated with such a background while the others hold different positions such as additional secretary or press secretary.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the post described Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. Step 2: Recall that Sanjay Kothari a retired IAS officer and former Central Vigilance Commissioner was appointed Secretary to the President. Step 3: Gopal Baglay is known for roles in the Ministry of External Affairs and as a spokesperson not as Secretary to the President. Step 4: Bharat Lal served as Joint Secretary to the President and Ashok Malik worked as Press Secretary to the President. Step 5: Therefore the only option that exactly matches the designation Secretary to the President is Sanjay Kothari.

Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to confirm is to remember that press releases from the time of Kovind assumption of office listed three key appointments Sanjay Kothari as Secretary Bharat Lal as Joint Secretary and Ashok Malik as Press Secretary. Connecting this trio with their specific roles confirms that Sanjay Kothari was the one holding the Secretary post while the others had different designations.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Gopal Baglay worked primarily as a diplomat and official spokesperson and was not appointed Secretary to the President. Bharat Lal served as Joint Secretary not as the main Secretary and therefore does not match the question requirement. Ashok Malik was appointed Press Secretary handling communication and media rather than administrative responsibilities of Secretary.

Common Pitfalls:
Because several names are associated with Rashtrapati Bhavan during the same period aspirants sometimes mix up their exact titles. Another mistake is to assume that any well known official around the President must be the Secretary. Careful reading of the post names in news articles is important to keep such distinctions clear in memory.

Final Answer:
The Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind appointed in 2017 was Sanjay Kothari.