As of the year 2018, who was serving as the Union Minister in charge of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in the Government of India?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks basic political and administrative awareness. Knowing which leader held which Union ministry at a given time is important for current affairs sections of many exams. The Ministry of Women and Child Development plays a central role in policies related to nutrition, protection, and welfare of women and children in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The time reference is the year 2018.
- The ministry is the Ministry of Women and Child Development, often abbreviated as MWCD.
- The options include leaders who have held this or related portfolios in different governments, along with other well known politicians.
- We assume the question refers to the central government in office around 2018.

Concept / Approach:
Maneka Gandhi served as the Union Minister for Women and Child Development in the cabinet formed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2014 until 2019. She became the face of many campaigns related to child adoption, nutrition, and prevention of violence against women. Renuka Chowdhury and Krishna Tirath held the portfolio in earlier governments, while Smriti Irani moved to this ministry only later, and Sonia Gandhi has mainly led the Indian National Congress and not this ministry.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the phrase as of 2018. This limits the timeline to the first term of the National Democratic Alliance government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Step 2: Recall that in this period, Maneka Gandhi was widely mentioned as the cabinet minister handling women and child related programmes. Step 3: Compare with Renuka Chowdhury and Krishna Tirath, who were ministers for women and child development in earlier United Progressive Alliance governments. Step 4: Note that Smriti Irani initially served as Human Resource Development Minister and later held other portfolios, and only later took charge of women and child development after 2018. Step 5: Conclude that Maneka Gandhi is the correct answer for the year 2018.

Verification / Alternative Check:
You can also verify by associating names with major schemes. Programmes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao were often discussed with Maneka Gandhi as the spokesperson for the ministry. Her tenure also included debates on child protection laws and adoption regulations. News from 2018 relating to those issues consistently described her as the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, confirming the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Renuka Chowdhury held this portfolio earlier under a different central government, not during 2018.
Krishna Tirath also served as Minister of State with independent charge for women and child development in a previous government, not in 2018.
Smriti Irani did not yet hold this ministry for most of 2018, so she does not match the time reference of the question.
Sonia Gandhi has been a party president and a member of parliament but has not served as Union Minister for Women and Child Development.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to ignore the year and pick a name that has recently appeared in the news, even if that person did not hold the portfolio in the time frame asked. Another issue is confusion between ministers in successive governments. To avoid this, always anchor ministerial positions to election years and cabinet reshuffles in your current affairs notes.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Maneka Gandhi, who was the Union Minister for the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2018.