The novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, which portrays diverse characters across contemporary India, is written by which author?

Introduction / Context:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a significant modern novel that followed the earlier Booker Prize winning work The God of Small Things. It moves across regions and communities in India, addressing social and political issues through an ensemble of characters. This question tests if the learner can correctly connect this well known title with its author, Arundhati Roy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The title given is The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.
• It is a novel set in contemporary India.
• Four options list different writers or public figures.
• We assume standard knowledge about Arundhati Roy and her works.

Concept / Approach:
The main concept is identifying the author of a famous literary novel. Arundhati Roy returned to long form fiction with The Ministry of Utmost Happiness after a long gap since The God of Small Things. The other options, though associated with media or publishing, are not the authors of this novel. The approach is to recall the small set of novels connected to Roy and match this title to her name.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise The Ministry of Utmost Happiness as a major literary novel released by Arundhati Roy. Step 2: Remember that this book came many years after her first novel and continues her engagement with Indian social and political issues. Step 3: Chaitanya Padukone is associated with journalism and film writing, not with this novel. Step 4: Amitav Ghosh is another major novelist but is known for works like The Shadow Lines and the Ibis trilogy, not for The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Step 5: Pramod Kapoor is primarily a publisher and author of non fiction works, not this specific novel. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is Arundhati Roy.

Verification / Alternative check:
Any library, publisher catalogue or literary review of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness clearly credits Arundhati Roy as the author. Comparisons are often drawn between this book and her earlier novel The God of Small Things, further confirming that both works belong to the same writer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Chaitanya Padukone: Known more for entertainment journalism, not for this literary novel.
Amitav Ghosh: A leading novelist, but he did not write The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.
Pramod Kapoor: Publisher and non fiction author, not associated with this particular work of fiction.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates might incorrectly select Amitav Ghosh simply because he is another famous Indian English novelist with politically engaged writing. Without memorising which titles belong to which author, such confusion is common. An effective revision strategy is to note at least two key novels for each major Indian English writer, including both The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness for Arundhati Roy.

Final Answer:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is written by Arundhati Roy.