Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand, located in the northern region of India, is renowned for its stunning landscapes, encompassing the Himalayas, lush forests, and sacred rivers. The state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, becoming the 27th state of India, with Dehradun as its capital. It is home to several significant pilgrimage sites like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar, and Rishikesh, making it a major center for religious tourism and spiritual retreats.

The state’s economy is diverse, driven primarily by tourism, agriculture, and hydropower. Tourism remains the backbone of the economy, with both pilgrimage and adventure tourism attracting millions of visitors annually. The region’s scenic landscapes offer opportunities for trekking, skiing, rafting, and wildlife tourism, contributing significantly to the state's revenue. The agriculture sector focuses on crops like rice, wheat, barley, and various fruits, with increasing efforts to promote organic farming and horticulture. Additionally, hydropower projects leverage the state’s abundant water resources, making it a critical player in India's renewable energy sector. The industrial sector has also been growing, with special economic zones (SEZs) in districts like Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, fostering manufacturing and service-based industries.

Uttarakhand’s political landscape has largely been dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC), with the BJP currently in power under Pushkar Singh Dhami, who became the Chief Minister in 2021. The government has focused on infrastructure development, disaster management, and boosting tourism and hydropower to sustain the state’s economic growth.

In February 2019, BOOM fact-checked a viral video that resurfaced with a false claim about the victim being a Kashmiri woman.

BOOM's investigation revealed that the video, which showed a molestation incident, was actually from Kashipur town in Uttarakhand and dated back to 2016.