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West Bengal pronunciationⓘ (Bengali: পশ্িচম বঙ্গ, Pōshchim Bäŋgō) is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim, and to its southeast lies the state of Orissa. To the west it borders the state of Jharkhand, and to the northwest it borders Nepal.

The region that is now West Bengal was ruled by small kingdoms as well as the Maurya empire and the Gupta empire. Between the 7th century and 12th century CE, the region was ruled by the Pala dynasty and the Sena dynasty, which were later overthrown by the Turkish and Afghan chiefs of the Delhi Sultanate. Under Jahangir, the reign of the Mughal empire was established in the area. The British East India Company captured the region following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, and the city of Kolkata (then Calcutta) would serve for many years as the capital of British India. A hotbed for the Indian independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was divided in 1947 into two separate entities — West Bengal belonging to India, and East Bengal belonging to the new nation of Pakistan.

The state witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. Economic and political life were dominated for many decades by intellectual Marxism, Naxalite movements and trade unionism. Recently, an economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid decline, leading to a spurt in the state's economic and industrial growth. An agriculture-dependent state, West Bengal occupies only 2.7% of the India's land area, though it supports over 7.8% of the population, and is the most densely populated state in India.[1] Known for its cultural heritage, West Bengal has been home to legendary poets, writers, artists and performers. West Bengal has been ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Front for three decades, making it the world's longest-running democratically-elected communist government.

History

Main article: History of Bengal

Remnants of civilization in the greater Bengal region date back 4,000 years ago,[2] [3] when the region was settled by Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman and Austro-Asiatic peoples. The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE.[4] After the arrival of Indo-Aryans, the kingdom of Magadha was formed in 7th century BCE, consisting of the Bihar and Bengal regions. Magadha was mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It was one of the four main kingdoms of India at the time of Buddha and was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. Under the Maurya dynasty founded by Chandragupta Maurya, the Magadha Empire extended over nearly all of South Asia, including parts of Persia and Afghanistan under Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. One of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is the mention of a land named Gangaridai by the Greeks around 100 BCE. The word is speculated to have come from Gangahrd (Land with the Ganges in its heart) in reference to an area in Bengal.[5]

File:Victoria memorial water.PNG
The Victoria Memorial dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria, the first British monarch to carry the title of Empress of India

From the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE, the kingdom of Magadha served as the seat of the Gupta Empire. After a period of anarchy, the Buddhist Pala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years, followed by a shorter reign of the Hindu Sena dynasty. Islam was introduced to Bengal in the 12th century CE by Sufi missionaries and subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region.[6] Bakhtiar Khilji, a Turkish general, defeated Lakshman Sen of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal. The region was ruled by dynasties of Sultans and feudal lords under the Delhi Sultanate for the next few hundred years. By the 16th century, Mughal general Islam Khan conquered Bengal. However, administration by governors appointed by the court of the Mughal Empire gave way to semi-independence of the area under the Nawabs of Murshidabad, who respected the nominal sovereignty of the Mughals in Delhi.

European traders arrived late in the 15th century, and their influence grew until the British East India Company gained control of Bengal following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 when Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab was defeated by the British.[7] The Bengal Presidency was established by 1765 which eventually included all the British territories north of the Central Provinces ( now Madhya Pradesh), from the mouths of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra to the Himalayas and the Punjab. Calcutta was named the capital of British India in 1772. The Indian rebellion of 1857 resulted in transfer of authority to the British Crown, with the Viceroy of India running the administration.[8] The Bengal famine of 1770 claimed as many as 3 million lives.[9] The Bengal Renaissance and Brahmo Samaj — movements emerging from extensive socio-cultural reform resulted in the general upliftment of Bengal's cultural and economic life. Between 1905 and 1911, an abortive attempt was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones.[10]

Bengal played a major role in Indian independence movement, with revolutionary groups like Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar dominating the scene. Several armed attempts were led against the British Raj from Bengal, with Subhash Chandra Bose forming the climax when he led Indian National Army against the British. In 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines, with the western part going to India and the eastern part joining Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan — giving rise to Bangladesh in 1971).[11] On 2 October, 1955 the former enclave of French enclave of Chandannagar, which had passed into Indian control after 1950 was integrated into West Bengal. Certain portions of Bihar were also subsequently merged with West Bengal.

Over the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist-Naxalite movement damaged much of the state's infrastructure, leading to a period of economic stagnation. The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 led to the massive influx of millions of refugees into West Bengal, causing significant strains on its infrastructure.[12] The politics in the state witnessed a major change when the assembly election was won by Left Front in 1977, defeating the incumbent Indian National Congress. The Left Front, led by CPI(M) has been ruling the state for last three decades.[13][14] The state's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India was introduced by the central government in the mid-1990s, aided by election of a new reformist Chief Minister in 2000. Lately, some armed Maoist activists have been organising minor terrorist attacks in some parts of the state.[15][16]

Geography and climate

See main article: Geography of West Bengal
Largest inter-tidal delta in the world — Ganges Delta — covering parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal

West Bengal is on the eastern bottle-neck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the North to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of 88,853 km². The Darjeeling Himalayan hill region to the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern Himalaya. This region contains Sandakfu (3,630 m)—the highest peak of the state. After a brief Terai region starts the plains. The plains continues into the Ganges delta towards the south. The rarh region intervenes between the Ganges delta in the east and the western plateau and high lands. A small coastal region is on the extreme south, while the Sundarbans mangrove forests form the most remarkable geographical landmark of the Ganges delta.

Ganges is the main river, which divides here— one branch entering Bangladesh as Padma or Pôdda and the other branch flows down West Bengal as the Bhagirathi River and River Hooghly. The hilly region towards the north has rivers such as the Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka and the Mahananda. The western plateau region has rivers like the Damodar, Ajay and the Kangsabati. The Ganges delta and the Sundarbans area is full of rivers and creeks cover the region like a web.

West Bengal's climate is transitional between tropical savannah in the southern portions and humid subtropical in the north. The main seasons are summer, rainy season, a short autumn, and winter. While the summer in the delta region is noted for excessive humidity, the western highlands experience a dry summer like northern India, with the highest day temperature ranging from 38 °C to 45 °C .[17] At nights, a cool southerly breeze carrying moisture from the Bay of Bengal is usually present. The early summer often sees brief squalls and thunderstorms known as Kalbaisakhi (Nor'westers).[18] The monsoon lashes the whole state from June to September. West Bengal receives the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian ocean monsoon that moves in a northwest direction. Winter (December–January) is mild over the plains, average minimum temparatute being 15 °C.[17] A cold and dry northern wind blows in the winter, substantially lowering the humidity level. However, the Darjeeling Himalayan Hill region experiences harsh winter, with snowfall at places.

Flora and fauna

A Bengal tiger

Owing to the varying altitude from Himalaya to coastal plains, the flora and fauna of the state is diverse. 11,879 km² of West Bengal landmass are covered with forest constituting 14% of the geographical area.[19][20] Protected forests cover 4% of the state area.[21] So the state is deficient in forest cover compared to national average of 23%.[20] Part of Sundarban, world's largest mangrove forest is in West Bengal.

Sundarban is noted for its tiger reserve project conserving Bengal Tigers. There are 5 national parks in the state — Sundarbans National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park and Singalila National Park. Wildlife includes the Indian one horned rhinoceros, Indian elephants, deer, bison, leopards, gaur, crocodiles and others. The state is also rich in bird life, migratory birds come to the state during the winter.[21] The high altitude forests like Singalila National Park shelter barking deer, red panda, chinkara, takin, serow, pangolin, minivet and Kalij pheasants. Sundarban, besides Bengal tiger, hosts many other endangered species like Gangetic dolphin, river terrapin, estuarine crocodile etc.[22] The mangrove forest also acts as a natural fish nursery, supporting coastal fishes along the Bay of Bengal.[22]

Government and politics

Map showing districts of West Bengal as of 2001
Main article: Government of West Bengal

Like other Indian states, West Bengal is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature, or the legislative assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker (or the Deputy Speaker if the Speaker is absent). The judiciary is composed of the Calcutta High Court and a system of lower courts. The executive authority — composed of the Governor of West Bengal (the de jure head of state appointed by the President of India), the Chief Minister of West Bengal (the de facto head of state: the Legislative Assembly's majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor), and the Council of Ministers (appointed by the Governor, with input from the Chief Minister). The Council of Ministers answers to the Legislative Assembly. The present Legislative Assembly of West Bengal is unicameral, consisting of 295 M.L.A. including one nominated from the Anglo-Indian community. Its term is 5 years, unless sooner dissolved. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. The state contributes 42 seats in Lok Sabha and 16 seats in Rajya Sabha,[23] while the total number of assembly constituency is 294.[24]

West Bengal hosts one major political alliance — the Left Front (led by the CPI(M)); and also other major political parties like All India Trinamool Congress and Indian National Congress. At present, Left Front is the ruling coalition and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya of the CPI(M) is the Chief Minister. West Bengal has been ruled by the Left Front for last 30 years — the world's longest-running democratically-elected Communist government.[13]

See also : Chief Minister of West Bengal, Political parties of West Bengal

Subdivisions

Main article: List of Districts (Zilas) in West Bengal

There are 19 districts in West Bengal — Bankura, Bardhaman, Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, East Midnapore, Hooghly, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia District, North 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, Purulia, South 24 Parganas, Dakshin Dinajpur and West Midnapore. Each district is governed by a district collector or district magistrate who are officers of the Indian Administrative Service. Each district is subdivided into several Sub-Divisions (governed by a sub-divisional magistrate), which are again subdivided into Blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councills) and town municipalities.

Major cities and towns in West Bengal are Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol, Haldia, Kharagpur, Midnapore, Tamluk, Contai, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Darjeeling, Malda and Cooch Behar.

Economy

Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices (93–94 Base)[25]

figures in crores of Indian Rupees

Year Gross State Domestic Product
1997–1998 97,966
1998–1999 115,516
1998–2000 126,834
2000–2001 139,863
2001–2002 153,865
2002–2003 165,419
2003–2004 186,429
2004–2005 206,881

Agriculture is the chief occupation of the people of the state. Rice is the principal food crop of West Bengal with maise, pulses, oil seeds, wheat, barley, potatoes and vegetables being others. Jute is the main cash crop of this region, tea being the second. Darjeeling tea is famous for its high quality. Tobacco and sugarcane are also grown in the state.[26] However, service sector is the largest contributor to the gross domestic product of the state, contributing to 51% of the state domestic product compared to 27% by agriculture and 7% by industry.[27] The industries in the state are localised in Kolkata region and the mineral-rich western highlands. Durgapur–Asansol colliery belt has some major steel plants.[26] The state is also major producer of tea and jute products. Manufacturing industries like engineering products, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, wagons etc. also play important role.

Freshly sown saplings of paddy, in the background are stacks of jute sticks

A significant part of the state is economically more backward — large parts of six northern districts (Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur), three western districts (Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum) and the Sundarban area.[1] For many years after independence, West Bengal was dependent on the central government for meeting its demand of food. Food production remained stagnant and the green revolution bypassed the state. However, there has been significant spurt in food production since 1980s and the state is now surplus in food grains.[1] The share of the state in total value of industrial output in India was 9.8% in 1980–81, but that declined to 5% by 1997–98. However, the service sector has increased at a rate higher than the national rate.[1]

During the year 2001–2002, the state's average SDP has been more than 7.8% — outperforming the National GDP Growth.[28] The state of West Bengal has promoted foreign direct investment, which has mostly come in the software and electronics field.[29] Kolkata is also becoming a major hub for the IT (Information Technology) industry. Owing to the recent boom in the economy of Kolkata and also the state as a whole, West Bengal is now the third fastest growing economy in the country.[30] West Bengal has the third largest economy (2003-2004) in India, with a net state domestic product of US$ 21.5 billion.[27] NASSCOM-Gartner ranks West Bengal power infrastructure the best in the country.[31]

See also: List of conglomerates in West Bengal

Transport

File:Digha-train.jpg
A train of South Eastern Railway plying between Kolkata and Digha

The total length of surface road in West Bengal is about 57,600 km; National highways comprise 2,357 km and state highways 2,393 km[32] Average speed on state highways varies between 40–50 km/h; in villages and towns, speeds are as low as 20–25 km/h due to the proliferation of speed bumps.[32] Total railway length is 3,825 km.[33] Kolkata is the headquarters of two divisions of the Indian Railways — Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway. The Northeast Frontier Railway plies in the northern parts of the state. The Kolkata metro is the country's first underground railway and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (NFR) is a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO.

The state's only international airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum, Kolkata. Bagdogra airport near Siliguri is the other significant airport in the state. Kolkata is a major river-port in eastern India. The Kolkata Port Trust manages both the Kolkata docks and the Haldia docks. There are passenger service to Port Blair on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and cargo ship service to various ports in India and abroad, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India. Kolokata is the only city in India to have tram transport, operated by Calcutta Tramways Company.

Several government-owned organisations operate bus services in the state, including the Calcutta State Transport Corporation, the North Bengal State Transport Corporation, the South Bengal State Transport Corporation, the West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation etc. There are many private bus services, but the railway is a nationalised service without any private investment. Hired forms of mechanised transport include metered taxis, while auto rickshaws ply in specific routes in cities. In most of the cities, cycle rickshaws and in Kolkata, hand-pulled rickshaws are also employed by the public for short distances.

Demographics

Baul singers at Basanta-Utsab, Shantiniketan

The vast majority of the population of 80,221,171 in West Bengal[34] are the Bengalis.[35] Minorities of Biharis are scattered throughout the state. Communites of Sherpas and ethnic Tibetans can be found in regions bordering Sikkim. West Bengal is also home to indigenous tribal Adivasis who are mostly concentrated in the western districts. The official language is Bengali. Hindi and English are also in common usage. Nepali is spoken primarily by the Gorkhas of Darjeeling district.

At 904 persons per square kilometer, West Bengal is the most densely populated state in India.[36] However, the state contributes only 7.81% of India's population.[37] The state's growth rate of 17.84% (for the period 1991–2001) is slightly lower than national rate of 21.34%.[34] The sex ratio is 934 females per 1000 males while the literacy rate is 69.22%.[34] Hinduism is the principal religion with 72.5% of population being Hindu. Muslims comprises 25%, whereas other religions contribute minimally to the population.[38] The life expectancy in the state is 63.4 years, marginally more than the national value of 61.7 years.[39] About 72% people live in the rural area, while the urban population is largely concentrated around Kolkata. The proportion of people living below the poverty line in 1999-2000 was 31.85%.[1] scheduled castes and tribes respectively form 28.6% and 5.8% of the population respectively in rural areas, and 19.9% and 1.5% respectively in urban areas.[1]

The crime rate in the state was 82.6 per 100,000 or half of the national average in 2004.[40] This the fourth-lowest crime rate amongst 32 states and union territories of India.[41] However, the state reported highest rate of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes.[42] In terms of recorded crime against women, the state had a crime rate of 7.1 compared to the national rate of 14.1.[41] West Bengal was the first Indian state to constitute a Human Rights Commission of its own.[41]

Culture

Main article: Culture of West Bengal
A priest worshipping a contemporary image of Durga, shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahishasura.

The Bangla language boasts a rich literary heritage, which West Bengal shares with neighboring Bangladesh. The earliest literary text in Bangla is the eighth century Charyapada. Bangla literature matured in the nineteenth century. West Bengal has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by the Charyapada , Shreekrishna Kirtana, Thakurmar Jhuli or stories related to Gopal Bhar. Bengali literature was rejuvenated by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and Tarashankar Bandopadhyay among others. The musical tradition of West Bengal is lyrics-based (Baniprodhan), with minimal instrumental accompaniment. The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music, which has also been influenced by regional music traditions. Gombhira and Bhawaiya are a few of the better-known musical forms. Folk music in West Bengal is often accompanied by the ektara, an instrument with only one string. West Bengal also has an active heritage in North Indian classical music. Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups as well as the broader Indian dance traditions. Chau dance of Purulia is a rare form of mask dance. Mainstream Hindi films are quite popular, as are films of Bengali cinema industry dubbed "Tollywood." Bengali film industry is known for its art films. Its long tradition of filmmaking includes acclaimed directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak to contemporary directors such as Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh.

Rice and fish are traditional favorites; leading to a common saying that "fish and rice make a Bengali" (machhe bhate bangali). Meat consumption has increased with higher production in recent years. Bengalis make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products; some common ones are Rôshogolla, Chômchôm and Kalojam. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes various hilsa preparations (a favorite among Bengalis). Fast foods such as Beguni (fried battered eggplant slices ), Kati roll (flatbread roll with vegetable or chicken stuffing), phuchka (deep fried crêpe with tamarind and lentil sauce) are widely popular. Bengali women wear commonly wear sari (shaŗi) and the salwar kameez, which are distinctly designed as per local culture. In urban areas many women and men wear Western-style attitre. Men also wear traditional costumes such as the kurta with dhoti or pyjama, often on religious occasions.

Durga Puja in October is the most popular festivals in the West Bengal. Pohela Baishakh (Bengali New Year), Rathayatra, Dolyatra or Basanta-Utsab, Nobanno, Poush parbon (festival of Poush), Christmas, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are other major festivals. Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most important Buddhist festivals while Christmas, called Bôŗodin (Great day) in Bangla is celebrated by the minority Christian population. Football is the most popular sport in the state. The capital Kolkata is one of the major centers of football activity in India. Kolkata is home to top national clubs such as East Bengal, Mohan Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club. Like in the rest of India, cricket is widely popular and is played throughout the state. Indian sports such as Kho Kho and Kabaddi are also popular. West Bengal has some large stadiums —The Eden Gardens is, at present, one of only two 100,000-seat cricket amphitheaters in the world. Salt Lake Stadium — a multi-use stadium — is the world's third highest-capacity football stadium. Netaji Indoor Stadium is an air-conditioned indoor stadium, while Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is the second-oldest cricket club in the world.

Education

Main article: Education in West Bengal
File:IIT KGP Main Building.JPG
IIT Kharagpur

Schools in West Bengal are either run by the state government or by private organisations, including religious institutions. Schools mainly use English or Bengali as the medium of instruction, though Hindi and Urdu may also be used. The schools are affiliated with the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing their secondary education, students typically enrol for 2 years in a junior college (also known as a pre-university) or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. They choose from one of three streams — liberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students may enroll; in general or professional degree programs.

West Bengal has fifteen universities.[43] The University of Calcutta, one of the oldest and largest public universities in India has more than 200 affiliated colleges. The Bengal Engineering & Science University and Jadavpur University are prestigious technical universities. Notable colleges include Presidency College, St. Xavier's College, Medical College Kolkata. The state has many higher education institutes of national importance including the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, the first of its kind in India, the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Asiatic Society, the Indian Statistical Institute and the Marine Engineering and Research Institute.

Media

File:EdenGardensCalcuttaCricket.jpg
The Eden Gardens of Kolkata.

559 newspapers were published from West Bengal in 2005.[44] Of these 430 were in Bangla. Ananda Bazar Patrika, published from Kolkata with 11,30,167 copies, has the largest circulation for a single edition, regional language newspaper in India.[44] Other Bengali newspapers such as Aajkaal, Bartaman, Sangbad Pratidin and Ganashakti are widely circulated. The Telegraph, The Statesman, Asian Age, Hindustan Times and The Times of India are the popular newspapers published in English. Vernacular newspapers such as those in Hindi, Gujarati, Oriya, Urdu, Punjabi, Nepali and Chinese are also read by smaller audiences.

The state-owned television broadcaster Doordarshan provides two free terrestrial channels. Multi system operators provide a mix of Bengali, Nepali, Hindi, English and many international channels via cable. 24-hour television news channels such as STAR Ananda and Kolkata TV are widely popular. All India Radio is the public radio station available throughout the state. Private FM stations are available only in cities like Kolkata. BSNL, Reliance Infocomm, Hutch and Airtel are the major cellular phone operators. Internet is available through broadband provided by state owned BSNL as well as by other private players, dial-up access is also available .

See also

Template:West Bengal related topics

Template:India

Notes

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  2. ^ Bharadwaj, G (2003). "The Ancient Period". In Majumdar, RC (ed.). History of Bengal. B.R. Publishing Corp.
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  8. ^ (Baxter 1997, pp. 30–32)
  9. ^ Sen, Amartya (1973). Poverty and Famines. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-198-28463-2.
  10. ^ (Baxter 1997, pp. 39–40)
  11. ^ Collins, L (1986). Freedom at Midnight, Ed. 18. Vikas Publishers, New Delhi. ISBN 0-706-92770-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ (Bennett & Hindle 1996, pp. 63–70)
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  14. ^ (Roy & Alsayyad 2004)
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  18. ^ "kal Baisakhi". Glossary of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2006-09-05.
  19. ^ "Flora and Fauna". calcuttayellowpages.com (P) Ltd. Retrieved 2006-08-25.
  20. ^ a b "Environmental Issues". West Bengal Human Development Report 2004 (PDF). Development and Planning Department, Government of West Bengal. pp. pp180–182. ISBN 81-7955-030-3. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
  21. ^ a b "West Bengal: General Information". India in Business. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Retrieved 2006-08-25.
  22. ^ a b "Problems of Specific Regions". West Bengal Human Development Report 2004 (PDF). Development and Planning Department, Government of West Bengal. pp. pp200–203. ISBN 81-7955-030-3. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
  23. ^ "West Bengal". India Together. Civil Society Information Exchange Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
  24. ^ "Election Database". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
  25. ^ "Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices (93–94 Bae". National Accounts Division: Press release & Statements. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. Retrieved 2006-09-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ a b "Economy". West Bengal. Suni System (P) Ltd. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
  27. ^ a b "The State Economy" (PDF). Indian States Economy and Business: West Bengal. Indian Brand Equity Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry. p. 9. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
  28. ^ "Basic Information". About West Bengal. West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
  29. ^ "Dasgupta, 2002". Retrieved 2006-04-11.
  30. ^ "Consul General Henry V. Jardine to The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, October 19, 2005". Retrieved 2006-04-11.
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  36. ^ "Press Release - Provisional Population Results - Census of India 2001". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. 26. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  37. ^ "Census of India 2001: Provisional Population Totals" (PDF). Census of India (2001). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
  38. ^ "Data on Religion". Census of India (2001). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
  39. ^ "An Indian life: Life expectancy in our nation". India Together. Civil Society Information Exchange Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
  40. ^ National Crime Records Bureau (2004). "Crimes in Mega Cities". Crime in India-2004. Ministry of Home Affairs. p. 158. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ a b c "Human Security". West Bengal Human Development Report 2004 (PDF). Development and Planning Department, Government of West Bengal. pp. pp167–172. ISBN 81-7955-030-3. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
  42. ^ National Crime Records Bureau (2004). "General Crime Statistics Snapshots 2004". Crime in India-2004. Ministry of Home Affairs. p. 1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "List of Universities in West Bengal". Application Technology (India) Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved 2006-09-01. Unlisted in this list is West Bengal University of Health Sciences
  44. ^ a b "General Review". Registrar of Newspapers for India. Retrieved 2006-09-01.

References

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