Dehradun is the capital city of which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
Indian state capitals are a very common topic in competitive exams, school tests and general knowledge quizzes. Some state capitals are extremely well known, while others are less familiar and therefore more likely to be asked. Dehradun is an important city in northern India, and this question checks whether you know which state it serves as the capital of. Being aware of such state–capital pairs is essential for aspirants of many Indian government exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The city mentioned is Dehradun.
• The options are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
• Exactly one of these is the state for which Dehradun is the capital city.
• We assume the commonly accepted modern administrative capital as used in exam syllabi.

Concept / Approach:
Dehradun is the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It lies in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a well known educational and administrative centre. Uttar Pradesh has Lucknow as its capital. Tripura uses Agartala as its capital, Arunachal Pradesh has Itanagar and Sikkim has Gangtok. The approach is to either recall directly that Dehradun is associated with Uttarakhand, or to eliminate the other options by remembering their known capitals.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh and that Dehradun was chosen as its capital city.Step 2: Remember that Uttar Pradesh, the neighbouring state, has Lucknow as its capital, not Dehradun.Step 3: Recognise that Tripura, located in the northeast, has Agartala as its capital.Step 4: Note that Arunachal Pradesh has Itanagar as its administrative capital.Step 5: Recall that Sikkim is administered from Gangtok as its capital city.Step 6: Conclude that Uttarakhand is the only state in the list for which Dehradun is the capital.

Verification / Alternative check:
A practical verification is to think of common facts about each state. Uttarakhand is known for hill stations like Mussoorie and religious sites such as Haridwar and Rishikesh, and Dehradun frequently appears in news as the site of the state secretariat and government offices. In contrast, any news about Uttar Pradesh governance originates from Lucknow, and northeastern state capitals are identified with their own major cities such as Itanagar for Arunachal Pradesh. This consistent pattern confirms that Dehradun is linked with Uttarakhand.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Uttar Pradesh is a much larger neighbouring state with Lucknow as its capital; Dehradun does not serve as its capital. Tripura is a small northeastern state whose capital is Agartala. Arunachal Pradesh has Itanagar as its capital city. Sikkim is administered from Gangtok. None of these states use Dehradun as their capital city, so they are all incorrect responses for this question.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Uttarakhand was created out of Uttar Pradesh, some learners mistakenly link Dehradun and Lucknow to the wrong states, especially if they memorised capitals before the state was formed. Another pitfall is confusing northeastern states and their capitals, since several of them are less familiar. The best way to avoid errors is to revise the list of Indian states and capitals with special attention to newer states and hill states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern region.

Final Answer:
Dehradun is the capital city of Uttarakhand.