In Indian geography and environment, in which of the following states is Dudhwa National Park located as a protected wildlife area?

Introduction / Context:
Dudhwa National Park is an important protected area in India and often appears in questions related to Indian geography, wildlife conservation, and national parks. Knowing the correct location of famous national parks helps candidates in exams such as UPSC, SSC, banking, and state services, because many questions test basic map based awareness and the association between parks and their states. This question specifically asks in which state Dudhwa National Park is situated.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The question gives the name of the protected area and four possible states:

• Dudhwa National Park is the park in question.
• Answer options: Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh.
• Only one of these states actually contains Dudhwa National Park.
• No map is provided, so the answer must come from factual recall.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is straightforward factual recall from Indian geography. Dudhwa National Park is located in the Terai region along the India–Nepal border in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in Lakhimpur Kheri district and is part of the larger Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. Other states listed in the options have their own famous parks but not Dudhwa. For example, Madhya Pradesh is known for Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Pench; Arunachal Pradesh has Namdapha and other reserves; Andhra Pradesh has different sanctuaries. Hence, by matching the correct park–state pair, we choose Uttar Pradesh.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Dudhwa National Park is associated with the Terai belt near the Indo–Nepal border. Step 2: Remember that the Terai belt in this context lies in northern Uttar Pradesh, especially the Lakhimpur Kheri area. Step 3: Link Dudhwa with the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, which is officially recorded as being in Uttar Pradesh. Step 4: Compare with the options and note that none of the other listed states are known for a national park called Dudhwa. Step 5: Select Uttar Pradesh as the correct option.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick mental verification is to recall famous national parks by state. When you think of Uttar Pradesh and wildlife, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Dudhwa National Park are usually the first names that come up. In contrast, Madhya Pradesh brings to mind Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura and Pench; Arunachal Pradesh suggests Namdapha; Andhra Pradesh is not commonly associated with Dudhwa at all. Also, many exam prep books list Dudhwa specifically under the heading “National Parks of Uttar Pradesh”, confirming this association.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Arunachal Pradesh: Has important parks like Namdapha and Mouling, but Dudhwa is not located here.
Madhya Pradesh: Known as the “Tiger State” with parks like Kanha and Bandhavgarh, but again, Dudhwa is not among them.
Andhra Pradesh: Has its own sanctuaries and reserves, yet Dudhwa is not one of them and lies far to the north of this state.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse Terai region parks with those in Madhya Pradesh because both are famous for tigers. Others may guess Arunachal Pradesh due to its dense forests without recalling the exact name–state mapping. To avoid this, it is helpful to memorise a short list of key parks by state: Dudhwa – Uttar Pradesh, Corbett – Uttarakhand, Kaziranga – Assam, and so on. This makes such questions easy marks in the exam.

Final Answer:
Dudhwa National Park is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.