Which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) collaborated with the British Geological Survey (BGS) to help transform Varanasi into a smart city through advanced mapping and planning?

Introduction / Context:
Smart city projects in India aim to use modern planning, technology and data to improve urban infrastructure and quality of life. Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world, was identified for such development. To support this effort, an Indian Institute of Technology collaborated with the British Geological Survey (BGS) for advanced mapping and planning. This question tests knowledge of which IIT partnered with BGS for the Varanasi smart city initiative.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus city is Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• The collaboration involved the British Geological Survey, an expert body in geology and mapping.
• The options list IIT Kharagpur, IIT New Delhi, IIT Pune and IIT Indore.
• We must identify the specific IIT that worked on this project.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall which IIT has strong collaborations with international agencies on geospatial and planning work and was mentioned in news reports about Varanasi. IIT Kharagpur has a long tradition in civil engineering, architecture and regional planning departments and was the institute that signed an agreement with BGS to help develop a detailed geospatial database and planning tools for making Varanasi a smart city. The other IIT names in the options do not match this particular partnership with BGS for Varanasi.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the project involves urban planning, geomapping and smart city technologies. Step 2: Recall that IIT Kharagpur has well known departments in civil engineering, architecture and regional planning, making it a strong partner for such work. Step 3: News about the collaboration highlighted that IIT Kharagpur and BGS would jointly prepare high resolution maps and planning tools for Varanasi. Step 4: Consider the other options. There is no institution formally called IIT Pune, and the main IIT in the region is IIT Bombay, so option c is not accurate. Step 5: IIT Delhi and IIT Indore are major institutes but were not reported as the lead IIT partner in this particular collaboration with BGS. Step 6: Therefore, IIT Kharagpur is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative check is to remember that the collaboration aimed to use modern tools like geospatial mapping, 3D city models and groundwater studies to support better planning in Varanasi. Press coverage specifically named IIT Kharagpur as the Indian academic partner. Academic and government websites also mention this link, which confirms that the project was anchored at IIT Kharagpur rather than the other IITs listed in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
IIT New Delhi: The correct name is IIT Delhi, and while it does many projects, it was not reported as the partner with BGS for this Varanasi initiative.
IIT Pune: There is no IIT officially named IIT Pune; the well known IIT in Maharashtra is IIT Bombay, so this option is not correct.
IIT Indore: Although an important institute, it was not the primary institution collaborating with BGS on this project.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be misled by geographic proximity and assume that an IIT closer to Varanasi must be involved. Others might not notice that IIT Pune is an incorrect institutional name. The best strategy in such questions is to rely on remembered news reports and also to check for obviously incorrect or non standard names in the options list.

Final Answer:
The IIT that collaborated with the British Geological Survey to support smart city planning for Varanasi is IIT Kharagpur.