The calendar of the year 2006 is identical to the calendar of which earlier year among the following?

Introduction / Context:
This question explores the idea of calendar repetition. Some years share exactly the same calendar layout, meaning that all dates fall on the same weekdays. Knowing how and when calendars repeat is useful not only for aptitude questions but also for planning and understanding long term date patterns.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We focus on the year 2006.
• We are given four candidate years: 1990, 1995, 2002, and 2000.
• We must identify which of these years has the same calendar as 2006.
• A same calendar year must start on the same weekday and have the same leap or non leap status.

Concept / Approach:
Two years will have identical calendars if three conditions hold. First, both years must be either leap years or normal years. Second, both years must start on the same day of the week, that is, the weekday on 1 January must match. Third, the sequence of leap years between them should not disturb this pattern outside the normal repetition rules. Using these ideas, we can compare 2006 with each option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that 2006 is a normal year, not a leap year. Step 2: Check which of the options are leap years. Among 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2002, only 2000 is a leap year because it is divisible by 400. The others are normal years. Step 3: A leap year cannot share the exact same calendar with a normal year, so 2000 is eliminated. Step 4: Now we need to check which among 1990, 1995, and 2002 starts on the same weekday as 2006. Step 5: Using calendar repetition patterns and known results, the calendar of 2006 matches that of 1995 exactly. Step 6: Therefore, the year 1995 shares the same calendar as 2006.

Verification / Alternative check:
A more detailed verification would involve checking the weekday of 1 January for each candidate year and confirming that the pattern of weekdays across the year coincides with 2006. For example, 1 January 1995 and 1 January 2006 both fall on the same weekday, and because both are normal years, all subsequent dates align. No such full alignment occurs with 1990 or 2002, which confirms that 1995 is the only correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1990: Although it is a normal year, its 1 January weekday does not match that of 2006, so the calendars differ.

2002: This is also a normal year but has a different starting weekday and therefore a different calendar layout.

2000: This is a leap year with 366 days, so its calendar cannot be identical to a normal year like 2006.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often think that calendars repeat after a fixed small number of years such as every 7 years. While this can be roughly true in short spans, leap years and century rules break the simple pattern. Always check both leap year status and starting weekday when judging whether two years share the same calendar.

Final Answer:
Hence, the calendar of 2006 matches the calendar of 1995.