The correct answer is option 1, December 22. This is because December 22 marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, including India. The winter solstice is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest night of the year. On this day, the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn, which is the farthest point south in its annual path across the sky. As a result, the Sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky, and the duration of daylight is the shortest. After December 22, the days gradually start getting longer, leading to the summer solstice in June when India experiences the longest day of the year.