Who was the recipient of the Arjuna Award 2016 in the field of athletics?

Introduction / Context:
The Arjuna Award is one of India most prominent sports honours. It recognises consistent outstanding performance in national sports over a period of time. Athletics is a key area where several Indian sportspersons have been honoured with this award. This question asks you to identify which athlete received the Arjuna Award in 2016 for achievements in athletics.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the Arjuna Award.
• The year is 2016.
• The field is athletics, not cricket or other sports.
• The options are Vikas Gowda, Lalita Babar, Neeraj Chopra, and Seema Punia.

Concept / Approach:
Lalita Babar is an Indian long distance runner and steeplechase specialist who represented India in major international competitions, including the Olympics. In recognition of her achievements, she received the Arjuna Award in 2016 in athletics. Vikas Gowda and Seema Punia are throwers who received awards in other years, and Neeraj Chopra, a javelin thrower, became widely recognised slightly later, including after his Olympic gold. Thus, among the given names, Lalita Babar is the correct match for the Arjuna Award 2016 in athletics.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the combination of award name and year, that is Arjuna Award 2016. Step 2: Recall which athlete in the list was making news around 2015 and 2016 for strong performances in international middle distance events. Step 3: Remember that Lalita Babar made it to Olympic finals and set national records in steeplechase, leading to her Arjuna Award recognition in 2016. Step 4: Associate Vikas Gowda, Neeraj Chopra, and Seema Punia with different award years or later achievements. Step 5: Select Lalita Babar as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
When revising Indian sports honours, it is helpful to create a timeline of key athletes and the years they received major awards. For 2016, the lists of Arjuna Awardees highlight Lalita Babar for athletics. Cross checking with your memory of Olympic and Asian Games performances can reinforce this association. Since the other athletes in the options are connected with other timelines, you can be confident that Lalita Babar is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Vikas Gowda is a discus thrower who has also been honoured, but not specifically as the Arjuna Award 2016 athletics recipient.

Neeraj Chopra gained massive fame after later achievements, including Olympic gold, and his awards fall in different years.

Seema Punia is a discus thrower with her own honours but not the key 2016 Arjuna recognition highlighted in this particular question.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often mix up the years of Arjuna Awards because the names repeat across different seasons of competition and recognition. Another pitfall is to choose the athlete with the most recent headlines, which might not align with the specific award year asked in the question. To avoid this, pay close attention to the year and maintain a short mental map of who received which major award in key years.

Final Answer:
The athlete who received the Arjuna Award in 2016 in the field of athletics is Lalita Babar.