Introduction / Context:
Swachh Survekshan is a cleanliness survey conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission to rank Indian cities on sanitation and solid waste management. The 2016 survey covered 73 cities and highlighted those that had made impressive progress in cleanliness and reduction of open defecation. Questions based on these rankings test awareness of flagship government programmes and the cities that set early benchmarks in urban sanitation.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The survey mentioned is Swachh Survekshan 2016.
- The time reference is February 2016.
- The ranking considered open defecation and solid waste management practices.
- Options list several large and medium sized Indian cities.
Concept / Approach:
The key concept is to recall which city was ranked number one in that specific survey. Mysore had already built a reputation for cleanliness and efficient urban management and frequently appeared at the top of early Swachh Survekshan rankings. Although cities like Navi Mumbai, Gangtok and Visakhapatnam performed well, Mysore was the city that topped the list of 73 cities in the 2016 exercise. Recognising this fact allows us to select the correct option.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is about Swachh Survekshan 2016, the first major nationwide cleanliness ranking of larger cities.
Step 2: Recall that Mysore was repeatedly highlighted as one of the cleanest cities in India during this period.
Step 3: Option b, Mysore, aligns with reports that placed it at the top of the list of 73 surveyed cities.
Step 4: Navi Mumbai, Gangtok and Visakhapatnam were strong performers but did not occupy the top position in this specific survey.
Step 5: Pune is a major city working on cleanliness but was not ranked number one in Swachh Survekshan 2016.
Step 6: Therefore, Mysore is the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to recall news headlines from early Swachh Bharat years, when Mysore was frequently called the cleanest city in India. Official releases and media reports celebrated Mysore's performance in sanitation, which made it a model for other cities. None of the other options were as strongly associated with being number one in the 2016 ranking, which confirms the choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is incorrect because Navi Mumbai, although relatively clean, did not top the 2016 list. Option c is wrong since Gangtok performed well in different categories but was not number one across the 73 cities surveyed. Option d, Visakhapatnam, has improved in cleanliness but did not secure the top spot in this particular survey. Option e, Pune, was not the leading city in that year's ranking either.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often mix up winners from different years of Swachh Survekshan or confuse category specific awards with overall rankings. Another pitfall is to assume that the largest metros must top all lists, which is not true for cleanliness rankings. To avoid such mistakes, learners should pay attention to the year and survey name and associate early Swachh Survekshan success with cities like Mysore, while remembering that rankings changed in later years as more cities improved their performance.
Final Answer:
The city that topped the Swachh Survekshan 2016 rankings of 73 cities was Mysore.
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