According to Mercer's 19th annual Quality of Living survey released in 2017, which Indian city was ranked as having the best living standards among major cities in India?

Introduction / Context:
Mercer publishes an annual Quality of Living survey that compares cities around the world on various parameters such as safety, infrastructure, environment, health, and education. Competitive exams often ask which Indian city ranks highest in these surveys, because it reflects urban governance and quality of life. The question focuses on the 19th annual survey released in 2017 and asks which Indian city, among the options given, emerged as the best in terms of living standards.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The survey is Mercer's Quality of Living survey for the year 2017.
• The options include four major Indian cities: Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
• We assume that the comparison is among Indian cities only, not their exact global rank.
• The task is to recall which Indian city Mercer placed at the top among these in that survey year.

Concept / Approach:
This is a static current affairs question that requires remembering city rankings from a well known international survey. Over several years, Hyderabad consistently performed very well in Mercer's Quality of Living survey among Indian cities, often ranking higher than other metros on parameters like safety and overall living conditions. Therefore the approach is to recall this pattern and map it to the specific year, 2017, indicated in the question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the survey is international, but the question asks for the highest ranking Indian city.Step 2: Recall that Hyderabad frequently leads among Indian cities in Mercer's Quality of Living rankings, ahead of Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.Step 3: Focus on the year 2017 and remember that Hyderabad once again emerged as the Indian city with the best living standards in that edition.Step 4: Verify that Hyderabad appears as one of the options, making it a valid choice.Step 5: Select Hyderabad as the correct answer, because it topped among Indian cities in Mercer's 2017 Quality of Living survey.

Verification / Alternative check:
Alternative verification can be done by recalling that Mercer reports often mentioned Hyderabad as the best Indian city for quality of living, sometimes followed by Pune, while Delhi and Bengaluru were placed lower because of issues such as traffic and pollution. This consistent pattern provides an additional memory hook to confirm that Hyderabad is the correct option for the 2017 survey as well.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Bengaluru) is incorrect because although it is a major technology hub, it did not surpass Hyderabad in Mercer's 2017 quality of living ranking for Indian cities. Option C (Ahmedabad) is developing rapidly but was not placed at the top among Indian cities in that year's survey. Option D (Delhi) is India's capital, yet it often scores lower on pollution and safety parameters, preventing it from leading the quality of living rankings for Indian cities in 2017.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may instinctively choose Delhi or Bengaluru because of their national and international prominence, without recalling the survey's detailed criteria. Another pitfall is to assume that the political or economic importance of a city automatically translates into the best living standards. Understanding that quality of living is based on multiple factors such as safety, environment, and infrastructure helps avoid these errors and leads to the correct choice, Hyderabad.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Hyderabad, which was ranked as the Indian city with the best living standards in Mercer's 19th annual Quality of Living survey released in 2017.