Correct Option
The first Municipal Corporation in India was established in Madras (now Chennai) in 1688 by the British East India Company. This initiative represented the earliest formal step towards urban local self-governance in the country.
Incorrect Options
- Calcutta: The Municipal Corporation in Calcutta was established in 1726, under the Royal Charter of 1726, which was subsequent to the establishment in Madras.
- Bombay: Similar to Calcutta, the Municipal Corporation in Bombay was also constituted in 1726, following the Royal Charter, and thus was not the first.
- Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was established much later, in 1957, after India gained independence.