The Mewar Award for distinguished service and achievements is given by which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
Various Indian states and cultural foundations confer awards to honour contributions in social service, art, culture, and public life. The Mewar Award is associated with the historical region of Mewar, which has a rich heritage of Rajput culture and is centred around the city of Udaipur. This question checks whether you know which state is connected with this award, a typical question for Indian culture and state level honours.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award mentioned is the Mewar Award.
• The options list states Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
• Mewar is a region historically linked to a particular state.
• You must identify the correct state from the options.

Concept / Approach:
Mewar is a historic region that lies in the southern part of the modern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is famous for its Rajput rulers, forts, palaces, and cultural traditions. The Maharana Mewar Foundation, based in Udaipur, confers the Mewar Award to individuals and organisations for distinguished service. Since Udaipur and the region of Mewar are part of Rajasthan, the award is naturally associated with that state. Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are distinct states with their own cultural awards and are not tied to Mewar.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify what Mewar refers to. It is not a city but a historic region of India. Step 2: Recall that Mewar includes Udaipur and is strongly associated with Rajput history and culture. Step 3: Recognise that Udaipur and Mewar are located in the state of Rajasthan. Step 4: Check the options and locate Rajasthan as the state that contains this region. Step 5: Select Rajasthan as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling tourist information and cultural references. Travel literature often describes Udaipur as the City of Lakes in Rajasthan and calls it the capital of the former Mewar kingdom. Many cultural awards and festivals linked with Mewar are organised by foundations based in Udaipur. Since none of the other states include the historic Mewar kingdom, this strongly confirms that Rajasthan is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Gujarat: While it borders Rajasthan, Mewar is not part of Gujarat, and the cultural identity of Mewar relates specifically to Rajasthan.
Uttar Pradesh: Located in northern India but with no historical or geographic connection to the Mewar kingdom.

West Bengal: Situated in eastern India, it has its own distinct cultural heritage but is unrelated to the Mewar region and award.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes candidates are unsure about the exact location of historical regions like Mewar and may confuse it with other princely states or nearby regions. They may also guess Gujarat due to geographic proximity. The key is to remember that the famous Rajput regions of Mewar, Marwar, and others lie within Rajasthan. Linking the words Mewar and Udaipur directly to Rajasthan helps avoid this confusion.

Final Answer:
The Mewar Award is given by the state of Rajasthan through cultural foundations based in that region.