West Bengal is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) as of 2011. The population estimate as of 2023 is 102,552,787. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state by area in India, as well as the eighth-most populous country subdivision of the world. As a part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, the coastal Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. The state's main ethnic group are the Bengalis, with the Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India. Kolkata is the seventh most populous city of India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore). It is the centre of the Kolkata Metropolitan Region, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world with a population of over 15 million residents. Kolkata is the regarded by many sources as the cultural capital of India and a historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal. It is the second largest Bengali-speaking city in the world. It has the highest number of Nobel laureates among all cities in India.
Howrah is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively Howrah lies within Howrah district, and is the headquarters of the Howrah Sadar subdivision. Howrah is an important industrial and transportation hub, and is also a gateway to Kolkata via Howrah railway station and Howrah Bridge.
Siliguri is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighbouring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the "Gateway of Northeast India", Siliguri is popular for three Ts: tea, timber and tourism. It is located on the banks of the Mahananda River and the Teesta River at the foothills of the Himalayas. Siliguri is the third largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal, after Kolkata and Asansol.
Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is located on the banks of the Teesta River which is the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges, on the foothills of the Himalayas. The city is home to the circuit bench of the Kolkata High Court, the other seat being at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Jalpaiguri features the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College, the second campus of the University of North Bengal and the Biswa Bangla Krirangan/ Jalpaiguri Sports Village. It lies 35 km (22 mi) east of its twin city, Siliguri. The merging of the two cities makes it the largest metropolis of the region.
Dakshin Dinajpur, also known as South Dinajpur, is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, India. It was created on 1 April 1992 by the division of the erstwhile West Dinajpur District.The Headquarter (sadar) of the district is at Balurghat. It comprises two subdivisions: Balurghat and Gangarampur. According to the 2011 census, it is the third least populous district of West Bengal.
Bakreshwar is a village in Dubrajpur CD Block in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited and Bakreswar Thermal Power Plant Township are located some distance away from this town. The nearest railway station of Bakreshwar is Siuri.
Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) was a West Bengal state government undertaken transport corporation. Headquartered in Kolkata, it was set up on 31 July 1948. Currently it operates under the name WBTC. It plied buses in Kolkata and nearby districts of West Bengal, along with some long-distance services. CSTC owned 11 depots in Kolkata and the districts to station its fleet of busses.
Baidyabati is a city and a municipality of Hooghly district in the State of West Bengal in India. It is under Serampore police station of Srirampore subdivision. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Salanpur is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Asansol subdivision of Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Hanskhali is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Ranaghat subdivision of Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
The economy of West Bengal is a mixed middle-income developing social market economy and the largest Eastern Indian economy with a substantial public sector. It is the India's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP.
Sagardighi is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Jangipur subdivision of Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Haldia is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Haldia subdivision of Purba Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. In earlier days this block was referred to as Sutahata II block, and Sutahata block was referred to as Sutahata I block.
Raghunathpur I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Raghunathpur subdivision of the Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Barrackpore Trunk Road, commonly known as BT Road, is six-laned trunk road in Kolkata metropolitan area, West Bengal, India. It connects Kolkata with its suburb Barrackpore. Built in 1775, it is the oldest metalled road and one of the busiest roads in the country. The 18.1 km (11.2 mi) long road is a part of both State Highway 1 and State Highway 2.
National Highway 10 is a national highway in North East India that connects Indo/Bangladesh border via Siliguri to Gangtok. It passes through the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim.The highway is being maintained by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) from Rangpo to Ranipool in the state of Sikkim.
National Highway 512 is a highway in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is proposed to build four lane road. It runs from Gazole to Hili border with Bangladesh. On the other side of the border, the road continues as Hili-Birampur Highway.
Sanjay Mitra is a retired 1982 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of West Bengal cadre. He served as Defence Secretary of India, and prior to that as Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary, and the Chief Secretary of West Bengal. Mitra also served—on an acting basis—as the chairperson of the Defence Research and Development Organisation for a period of three months.
National Highway 717A, commonly referred to as NH 717A is a National Highway in India which is a part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. NH 717-A starts from National Highway 17 at Bagrakote and ends in Gangtok. NH-717A traverses the states of West Bengal and Sikkim in India. It runs through two districts of West Bengal namely Jalpaiguri district, Kalimpong district and two districts of Sikkim, which are Pakyong District and Gangtok District. The highway is being constructed and maintained by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
