At which of the following places in India will you experience the maximum duration of sunlight in the month of December?

Introduction / Context:
The duration of daylight at a place varies with latitude and season. During December, the northern hemisphere experiences winter, and days become shorter as one moves away from the Equator. This question asks where in India the maximum sunlight duration would be experienced in December, testing your understanding of how latitude influences day length.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The places listed are Kanyakumari, Pune, Kolkata and Leh.
• December corresponds roughly to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.
• We assume clear weather so that the duration of daylight is determined primarily by the position of the Sun relative to latitude.
• All these places lie north of the Equator but at different latitudes within India.

Concept / Approach:
In winter, locations closer to the Equator experience longer days compared with places at higher latitudes, which have shorter daylight hours. Kanyakumari, situated at the southern tip of mainland India near eight degrees north, is the closest to the Equator among the options. Therefore, it will have relatively longer days in December compared with Pune, Kolkata or Leh, which are further north.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Arrange the places in order of increasing latitude from south to north Kanyakumari is the southernmost, followed by Pune, then Kolkata, and Leh is the northernmost in the high Himalaya.Step 2: Recall that at the winter solstice, places closer to the Equator have day lengths closer to twelve hours, while those closer to the poles see shorter days.Step 3: Since Kanyakumari has the lowest latitude among the options, it will experience the least reduction in day length during December.Step 4: Therefore, Kanyakumari will have the maximum duration of sunlight in December compared with the other listed locations.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look up sunrise and sunset times for these cities around the winter solstice, you will find that Kanyakumari has a longer interval between sunrise and sunset than Pune, Kolkata or Leh. Leh, being at very high latitude and elevation, experiences particularly short days in winter. These real world data points match the theoretical expectation based on latitude.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pune is at a higher latitude than Kanyakumari, so it experiences shorter days in December and cannot have the maximum daylight among the options. Kolkata lies even further north in the eastern part of the country, which further shortens its winter days relative to Kanyakumari. Leh is located in the far north in the high Himalaya and has some of the shortest winter days in India, making it the opposite of what the question is asking.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners mistakenly think that places in the east like Kolkata might receive longer sunlight because the Sun seems to rise earlier there, but this confuses clock time with total day length. Others may focus on elevation and choose Leh, thinking that higher altitude means more sunlight, without considering the impact of latitude and the tilt of the Earth. Remembering that proximity to the Equator reduces seasonal variation in day length can help anchor the correct reasoning.

Final Answer:
In December, the place among the options that experiences the maximum duration of sunlight is Kanyakumari, located near the southern tip of India.