At the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, how many medals did India win in total?

Introduction / Context:
India had a challenging but historic campaign at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Even though the overall medal tally was small compared to larger sporting nations, the performances of certain Indian athletes became iconic moments in Indian sports history. This question tests whether you remember the exact number and types of medals India won at Rio 2016, which is a very popular general knowledge topic asked in competitive exams and quizzes related to sports and current affairs.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The event being discussed is the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. • We are only concerned with medals officially credited to India. • Both the total count and the type of medals matter for this question.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question, you simply need to recall the factual outcome of India’s performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sports general knowledge often focuses on the number of medals, the names of medal winners and the specific events. For Rio 2016, two Indian women made the country proud. Remembering their achievements makes it easy to remember the medal count. Knowing that there was one silver and one bronze medal helps you directly identify the correct option without needing any calculation or complex reasoning.

Step-by-Step Solution:
• Step 1: Recall that the 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. • Step 2: Remember that P V Sindhu won a silver medal in badminton women singles. • Step 3: Recall that Sakshi Malik won a bronze medal in women wrestling. • Step 4: Count the total medals: one silver plus one bronze equals two medals in total for India. • Step 5: Match this information with the given options to find the option that states one silver and one bronze medal.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by remembering that there were no gold medals for India at Rio 2016. There was considerable discussion in the media about India returning with two medals, both won by women athletes. If you recall that no other Indian athlete stood on the podium during these Games, it confirms that there were exactly two medals, one of which was silver and the other bronze. Cross checking with standard exam preparation material or reliable sports news archives would also confirm this tally.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Two gold medals: India did not win any gold medal at Rio 2016, so this is incorrect. • Two bronze medals: One of the medals, P V Sindhu’s, was silver, not bronze, so this statement is wrong. • No medals were won: This is clearly false because both P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik won medals.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students confuse the London 2012 and Rio 2016 medal tallies or mix up the type of medals won. Another common mistake is to assume that because India is a large country, it must have won more medals than it actually did. Some learners also remember only that women athletes shone at Rio, but forget the exact medal colors. It is important to keep a clear mental table for Olympic years and India’s performances in each edition.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is One silver medal and one bronze medal.