Delhi is the best Indian city to live in, while steel city Jamshedpur ranks

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lowest in the Liveability Index 2010 prepared jointly by CII and Institute for Competitiveness.

Country's financial capital Mumbai comes second in the list of 37 cities mapped in the list, prepared on parameters like living standard, socio-cultural environment, education, medical standards and recreational possibilities among others.

Delhi comes on top in education, safety and economic environment; second in housing options, socio-cultural political environment; but medical standards remains the Achilles heel where the national capital finds 17th place.

"In overall quality of life, Delhi outscores on Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune and Gurgaon, which take up respective ranks second to ninth," the report said, adding that Faridabad, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Patna, Visakhapatnam and Jamshedpur are the last six ranked cities on overall quality of life.

"Chandigarh is a surprising 14th on this, proving that a city needs much more than apparent beauty to be truly liveable," it said using data from organisations like Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy.

Mumbai aced the demographic advantage and is blessed with the healthiest socio-cultural politico environment as well as natural-built environment, where Delhi comes close second.

Delhi, however, turns out to be the safest city in the country "contrary to negative press against it".

As Gurgaon and Noida have the worst record, the report said, "Delhi could be a simple victim of devils bearing proximity".

A liveable city, according to the report, is not just an urbanised area in an urbanised region defined by the presence of a municipality. Liveability refers to an urban system that contributes to the physical, social and mental well being and personal developments of all its inhabitants, it said.

"The quality of life experienced by the citizens living in a city is tied to their ability to access infrastructure, food, clean air, affordable housing, meaningful employment and green space and perks," it said.