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

Introduction / Context:
The National Capital Region, commonly abbreviated as NCR, is a planning region around Delhi that includes several districts from neighbouring states. Knowledge of which towns are inside or outside NCR is tested in geography and polity questions. This question asks you to identify which town among the options does not come within the NCR boundary.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The region in question is the National Capital Region of India.
• Options are Panipat, Rohtak, Mathura and Khurja.
• Many towns from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are included in NCR, but not all nearby towns are part of it.
• We assume the standard list used in exam references where Mathura is not part of NCR.

Concept / Approach:
NCR includes Delhi and selected districts from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, identified under the NCR Planning Board Act. Towns such as Panipat and Rohtak in Haryana and Khurja in Uttar Pradesh are within this region. Mathura, despite being in relative proximity to Delhi, is generally not listed as part of the NCR in the classic exam oriented lists, and is therefore the correct answer to the question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Panipat, located in Haryana, is a historic town that has been notified as part of the NCR. Step 2: Remember that Rohtak, another city in Haryana, is also included in the NCR planning region. Step 3: Khurja, situated in Uttar Pradesh, is known for its ceramics and has also been included in the NCR. Step 4: Mathura, a holy city in Uttar Pradesh known as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, is not typically listed among NCR towns in exam oriented materials. Step 5: Therefore, Mathura is the town that does not come within the National Capital Region.

Verification / Alternative check:
To cross check, you can think of the pattern of NCR inclusion. Many industrial and suburban towns near Delhi, such as Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Rohtak, Panipat and Khurja, are included to manage integrated regional development. Mathura, though connected to Delhi by highway and rail, lies further south and is better known as part of a religious tourism circuit rather than the tightly integrated NCR urban region. This difference in functional linkage supports the conclusion that Mathura is outside NCR.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option Panipat is wrong because Panipat is included in the NCR and appears on official lists of NCR districts. Option Rohtak is wrong for the same reason; Rohtak district in Haryana has been notified as part of the NCR. Option Khurja is wrong because it is a town in Uttar Pradesh that has been brought under the NCR for planning and development purposes.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes rely purely on distance from Delhi and assume that towns further away cannot be part of NCR, while closer ones must be. However, NCR is defined legally and administratively, not by a simple distance circle. Another pitfall is to think of Mathura as part of the larger Delhi tourist circuit and assume that implies NCR membership. Always remember that NCR inclusion is specific and documented, and for standard MCQs, Mathura is treated as outside the NCR.

Final Answer:
The town that does not come within India's National Capital Region is Mathura.