Nepali language, widely used in the eastern Himalayan region of India, is primarily spoken in which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
India contains many languages that are also spoken across international borders. Nepali is one such language that is spoken in Nepal as well as in parts of India. Within India, Nepali has official recognition in some regions and is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Examinations often ask which Indian state is most closely associated with Nepali as a primary language. This question checks your knowledge of linguistic geography in the eastern Himalayas.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The language in question is Nepali.
We must identify the Indian state where Nepali is primarily spoken and has strong official presence.
Options given are Karnataka, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh.
We assume current political boundaries and standard references for language distribution in India.

Concept / Approach:
Nepali is an Indo Aryan language spoken widely in Nepal and in several hill districts in India. Within India, Sikkim is the state where Nepali is a major language and has official status. The other options, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, lie in peninsular and western India and have their own Dravidian or Indo Aryan languages as the primary state languages, not Nepali. Recognising Sikkim as the Himalayan state where Nepali is dominant leads quickly to the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Sikkim is a small Himalayan state in northeastern India with a large Nepali speaking population. Step 2: Remember that Nepali is one of the official languages of Sikkim and is widely used in administration, education, and daily life. Step 3: Note that Karnataka is a southern state where Kannada is the main language. Step 4: Recognise that Rajasthan is a northwestern state where Rajasthani dialects and Hindi dominate, and Andhra Pradesh is a southern state where Telugu is the state language. Step 5: Conclude that among the options, Sikkim is the state primarily associated with Nepali language.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a verification step, think of common textbook pairings such as Nepali with Sikkim, and Assamese with Assam. Many questions on Indian languages ask you to match Sikkim with Nepali, along with other languages used by local communities. The hill districts of West Bengal like Darjeeling also use Nepali, but Sikkim is the only state option provided here. The other options are far from the Himalayan belt, which reinforces that Sikkim is the right answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Karnataka is wrong because its main language is Kannada, a Dravidian language, and Nepali is not widely spoken there. Rajasthan is wrong because Rajasthani dialects and Hindi are common, not Nepali. Andhra Pradesh is wrong because Telugu is the dominant language there, and it has no major Nepali speaking region. None of these states lie near Nepal or the eastern Himalayas, where Nepali is naturally a local language.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to forget which northeastern or Himalayan state is linked with which language and to confuse Sikkim with other states like Assam or Arunachal Pradesh. Another pitfall is to underestimate the importance of geography, such as proximity to Nepal, when thinking about language distribution. To avoid these issues, it is useful to remember that Sikkim shares a border with Nepal and that Nepali is a major language in both, making Sikkim the correct association in Indian geography questions.

Final Answer:
Nepali is primarily spoken in the Indian state of Sikkim.