After the resignation of Dinesh Trivedi in 2012, who was sworn in as the Union Railway Minister of India?

Introduction / Context:
Indian Railways is one of the largest railway systems in the world and the portfolio of the Union Railway Minister is considered a high profile Cabinet position in India. In 2012, a major political development took place when Dinesh Trivedi resigned from this post after controversy over a proposed hike in passenger fares. This question checks whether the learner can recall the leader who took charge of the Railway Ministry after that resignation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Dinesh Trivedi resigned as Union Railway Minister in 2012.
• A successor from the same political alliance was quickly sworn in.
• The options list several political names, but only one actually became Railway Minister at that time.

Concept / Approach:
The task is a direct factual recall question from Indian political and current affairs history. To answer correctly, a learner needs to remember that the Trinamool Congress, which held the portfolio, nominated another senior leader after Dinesh Trivedi stepped down. Therefore the correct method is to connect the event with the individual who was sworn in next, rather than guessing from similar sounding names.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Dinesh Trivedi presented a Railway Budget that proposed fare hikes and later offered to resign after political criticism.Step 2: Remember that the Trinamool Congress leadership then proposed Mukul Roy as the new Railway Minister.Step 3: Note that Mukul Roy was duly sworn in as Union Railway Minister after Trivedi left the post.Step 4: Match this fact with the given options and select the name that fits the event.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to recall Mukul Roy's association with the Railway portfolio during that period and his prominence in news reports about Indian Railways in 2012. None of the other options are normally linked with that specific Cabinet change. If a learner remembers Mukul Roy in the context of early twenty first century Railway Budgets, it confirms that option is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Muket Rai is not known in national news or political history as a Railway Minister; this is a distractor based on a similar sounding name. Prasanna Dev Barua is not associated with this portfolio either and does not match the 2012 context. Harihar Banerji is also not recorded as a Union Railway Minister after Dinesh Trivedi, so choosing these names would reflect guessing rather than factual recall. The option "None of the above" is incorrect because a specific person, Mukul Roy, did take the job.

Common Pitfalls:
Examinees sometimes confuse different Rail Ministers or mix up years, especially when they rely only on headlines rather than full events. Another common mistake is to assume that no one from the same party took over and then choose "None of the above". Some learners also misread unfamiliar names and guess randomly. The best way to avoid such errors is to link each Cabinet reshuffle with the key political issue that caused it and the successor's name.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Mukul Roy.