Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal for India at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games?

Introduction / Context:
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games were historic for India because they included significant achievements by Indian sportswomen on the global stage. One of the most celebrated moments was when an Indian woman shuttler won a silver medal in badminton, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal for the country. This question asks you to identify that athlete, an important figure in modern Indian sports history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
• The medal in question is a silver medal.
• We are specifically asked about the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal.
• The options are Sakshi Malik, P V Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, and Saina Nehwal.

Concept / Approach:
The concept here is Olympic medal history for India. At Rio 2016, P V Sindhu won a silver medal in women singles badminton, creating history as the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic silver. Sakshi Malik won a bronze medal in wrestling at the same Games. Dipa Karmakar reached the women gymnastics vault final and finished fourth, and Saina Nehwal had earlier won a bronze medal at London 2012, not silver at Rio. The approach is to connect the landmark phrase first Indian woman Olympic silver with P V Sindhu badminton achievement at Rio 2016.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the key phrase first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. Step 2: Recall that at Rio 2016, P V Sindhu reached the final of the women singles badminton event. Step 3: Remember that she finished as the runner up and received a silver medal, which was a historic first for an Indian woman. Step 4: Note that Sakshi Malik won bronze, Dipa Karmakar finished fourth, and Saina Nehwal bronze medal came at London 2012. Step 5: Based on this, select P V Sindhu as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider each athlete timeline. Saina Nehwal is often recognised for winning a bronze medal at London 2012, not silver at Rio. Sakshi Malik bronze at Rio 2016 in wrestling is another widely reported achievement but does not fit the silver medal requirement. Dipa Karmakar is remembered for her courageous performance in gymnastics, reaching the vault final, but she narrowly missed a medal. P V Sindhu, however, reached the badminton singles final and won the silver medal. This cross checking clearly confirms that P V Sindhu is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sakshi Malik: She won a bronze medal in women wrestling at Rio 2016, not a silver, so she cannot be the first Indian woman silver medallist.
Dipa Karmakar: She delivered an outstanding performance in gymnastics but finished in fourth place and did not win any medal at Rio 2016.
Saina Nehwal: She earned a bronze medal at London 2012 and did not win a silver at Rio 2016, so she does not match the description in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse the type of medal each athlete won at different Olympics. Some candidates mix up Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu achievements because both are top Indian badminton players. Others remember Sakshi Malik medal but forget it was bronze, not silver. To avoid such errors, it helps to memorise a brief table: Saina Nehwal bronze at London 2012, P V Sindhu silver at Rio 2016, and Sakshi Malik bronze at Rio 2016. This simple mapping clarifies which athlete achieved which milestone.

Final Answer:
The first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal for India at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was P V Sindhu, so option B is correct.