Which one of the following towns does not fall within the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR)?

Introduction / Context:
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a planning region around Delhi that includes parts of several neighbouring states. Questions about which towns or districts fall inside or outside the NCR are common in geography and polity-based general knowledge exams. This question checks your awareness of the composition of the Delhi NCR and whether you can identify the town that does not belong to this region among the given options.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are given four towns: Panipat, Rohtak, Khurja and Mathura.
• All four are located in northern India, in states adjoining Delhi.
• The question asks which one does not fall within the National Capital Region.
• We assume an understanding that NCR includes select districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan along with Delhi.

Concept / Approach:
The NCR is defined by the National Capital Region Planning Board Act and subsequent notifications that include specific districts around Delhi. Panipat and Rohtak (both in Haryana) and Khurja (in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh) have been included in the NCR due to their proximity and connectivity to Delhi. Mathura, although in western Uttar Pradesh and relatively close to Delhi, has historically not been part of the NCR under the original and commonly tested definitions in many exam syllabi. Therefore, knowing which districts and towns are part of the NCR helps to identify the odd one out.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that several districts of Haryana, such as Panipat and Rohtak, are officially part of the Delhi NCR. Step 2: Remember that Khurja, a town in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, lies within the NCR region according to planning board notifications. Step 3: Check the status of Mathura in your memory or study notes; it is not listed as a district included in the NCR in the standard competitive exam references. Step 4: Since Panipat, Rohtak and Khurja are all in the notified NCR area, Mathura becomes the only town among the options that does not fall within the NCR. Step 5: Mark Mathura as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by looking at a typical list of NCR districts from standard geography or polity books, which commonly mention districts like Gurgaon, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr (containing Khurja) and others. Mathura usually does not appear in that list in exam-oriented material. Even if later administrative proposals consider including more districts, most exam questions are framed using the commonly accepted NCR composition at the time of syllabus setting, where Mathura is considered outside the NCR. This cross-check supports Mathura as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Panipat: A district in Haryana that is officially within the National Capital Region, so it is not the correct answer.
Rohtak: Another important district of Haryana included in the NCR due to its proximity and linkages with Delhi.
Khurja: A town in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the districts included in the NCR; hence Khurja falls within the NCR.

Common Pitfalls:
A major pitfall is assuming that all towns in western Uttar Pradesh are either inside or outside the NCR without checking the actual notified list. Another common mistake is to misremember Khurja or Panipat as being outside the NCR simply because they are not as frequently mentioned as cities like Gurgaon or Ghaziabad. Some students also confuse NCR with other regional development concepts, which can lead to incorrect answers. Careful reading of standard NCR district lists helps prevent such errors.

Final Answer:
Among the given options, Mathura is the town that does not fall within the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).