Which one of the following statements is not correct in the context of India’s international regimes and initiatives?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of India’s engagement with important international regimes and forums related to security, nuclear governance and terrorism. It mentions India’s membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime, its application for the Nuclear Suppliers Group, its longstanding proposal for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the venue and year of a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The learner needs to identify which one of these statements is factually incorrect, while the others correctly match India’s diplomatic actions and the historical timeline of global meetings.

Given Data / Assumptions:

India joined MTCR in a particular year mentioned as 2016.
India applied for NSG membership and the year given is 2016.
India proposed the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in 1996.
The statement claims that CHOGM was held in 2016 at Malta.
We assume standard historical records for these events.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to evaluate each statement one by one. India did become a member of MTCR in June 2016, so option A is correct. India did formally apply for membership of NSG in 2016, which makes option B correct as well. India has indeed been the principal proponent of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations since 1996, so option C is also correct. The problematic part is option D. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Malta in November 2015, not in 2016. Therefore, the statement that CHOGM was held in 2016 at Malta is not correct.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check option A. India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime as its 35th member in June 2016, so this is accurate. Step 2: Check option B. India did submit a formal application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2016, which was widely reported in the context of NSG plenary meetings, so this statement is also correct. Step 3: Check option C. India proposed the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 to provide a universal legal framework against terrorism. Hence this statement is correct. Step 4: Check option D. The CHOGM summit at Malta took place in 2015. There was no CHOGM hosted in Malta in 2016. Step 5: Since option D gives an incorrect year for the Malta CHOGM, it is the statement that is not correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, a candidate may recall that India’s entry into MTCR and its NSG application were major foreign policy headlines in 2016 and became frequent questions in prelims and mains. The CCIT has been a long pending Indian initiative since the mid 1990s. On the other hand, CHOGM being in Malta is correct, but the year is wrong because the Malta summit is associated with late 2015. Remembering that CHOGM does not occur every year and that the subsequent summit after Malta was scheduled in 2018 in the United Kingdom helps confirm that 2016 is not the correct year.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Here we mean why they are wrong choices for the incorrect statement.
Option A is factually true and thus not the answer to a question asking for the statement that is not correct.
Option B is also true because 2016 is indeed the year when India officially applied for NSG membership.
Option C is true because India has been pressing for the CCIT since it proposed the draft in 1996, and this fact is well documented.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse the years for MTCR membership and NSG application or they remember only one of them. Others may guess incorrectly that the error lies in the CCIT year, because 1996 may not be as well known. However, the most subtle trap is in option D where both the place and the year are given. Many candidates see Malta and recognise it as a CHOGM host, and therefore overlook the incorrect year 2016. It is important in such questions to check both the event and the year, not just the location.

Final Answer:
The only statement that is factually incorrect is option D, because the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Malta was held in 2015, not in 2016. Therefore the wrong statement is “The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in 2016 at Malta.”