West Bengal

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13 Mar 2024

West Bengal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Poschim Bongo" and "Poshchimbôŋgo" redirect here. For other uses, see Paschimbanga.
This article is about the Indian State in Eastern India created in 1947. For the Indian Province that existed between 1905 and 1911, see Western Bengal Province.
West Bengal
State
Clockwise from top:
Howrah Bridge; Chhau dance in Purulia; Durga Puja; Bengal tiger in Sundarbans National Park; Darjeeling from Happy Valley Tea Estate; Digha beach; Hazarduari Palace; Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Emblem of West Bengal

Etymology: Western side of United BengalNickname: "Hub of all Cultural traits"Motto(s): Satyameva Jayate
(Truth Alone Triumphs)Anthem: Banglar Mati Banglar Jol
(The Soil of Bengal, The Water of Bengal)[1]Location of West Bengal in India
Coordinates: 22.57°N 88.37°ECountry India Region East IndiaBefore wasBengal Province Formation
(by bifurcation)15 August 1947Capital
and largest city Kolkata Largest metro Kolkata Metropolitan Region Districts 23 (5 divisions)Government • BodyGovernment of West Bengal • Governor C. V. Ananda Bose • Chief minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC)State LegislatureUnicameral • Assembly West Bengal Legislative Assembly (294 seats)National ParliamentParliament of India • Rajya Sabha 16 seats • Lok Sabha 42 seats High Court Calcutta High CourtArea • Total88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) • Rank13thDimensions • Length623 km (387 mi) • Width320 km (200 mi)Elevation500 m (1,600 ft)Highest elevation (Sandakphu [2])3,636 m (11,929 ft)Lowest elevation (Near Bay of Bengal)11 m (36 ft)Population (2011)[3] • Total 91,347,736 • Rank4th • Density1,029/km2 (2,670/sq mi) • Urban31.87% • Rural68.13%Demonym BengaliLanguage • Official Bengali [4] • English • Additional official Nepali • Urdu • Hindi • Odia • Santali • Punjabi • Kamtapuri • Rajbanshi • Kudmali/Kurmali • Kurukh • Telugu [4] • Official script Bengali–Assamese scriptGDP[5][6][7] • Total (2023)₹17.19 lakh crore (US$220 billion) • Rank6th • Per capita₹141,373 (US$1,800) (20th)Time zone UTC+05:30 (IST)ISO 3166 code IN-WB Vehicle registrationWBHDI (2022) 0.674 Medium[8] (24th)Literacy (2017) 80.5%[9] (19th)Sex ratio (2011)950♀/1000 ♂[10] (8th)Websitewb.gov.inSymbols of West Bengal Emblem of West Bengal
Song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol
(The Soil of Bengal, The Water of Bengal)[1]Bird White-throated kingfisherFishIlish Flower Night-flowering jasmineFruitMango Mammal Fishing cat Tree Chhaatim treeState highway markState highway of West Bengal
WB SH1 - WB SH15 List of Indian state symbols ^The Province of Bengal was split into two states i.e. West Bengal and East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) by the Indian Independence Act 1947 [11]
†† Partition of Bengal (1947)
West Bengal (/bɛnˈɡɔːl/, Bengali: Poshchim Bongo, pronounced [ˈpoʃtʃim ˈbɔŋɡo] ⓘ, abbr. WB) 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.[12] 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.
The area's early history featured a succession of Indian empires, internal squabbling, and a tussle between Hinduism and Buddhism for dominance. Ancient Bengal was the site of several major Janapadas, while the earliest cities date back to the Vedic period. The region was part of several ancient pan−Indian empires, including the Vangas, Mauryans, and the Guptas. The citadel of Gauḍa served as the capital of the Gauḍa Kingdom, the Pala Empire, and the Sena Empire. Islam was introduced through trade with the Abbasid Caliphate, but following the Ghurid conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, the Muslim faith spread across the entire Bengal region. During the Bengal Sultanate, the territory was a major trading nation in the world, and was often referred by the Europeans as the "richest country to trade with". It was absorbed into the Mughal Empire in 1576. Simultaneously, some parts of the region were ruled by several Hindu states, and Baro-Bhuyan landlords, and part of it was briefly overrun by the Suri Empire. Following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in the early 1700s, the proto-industrialised Mughal Bengal became a semi-independent state under the Nawabs of Bengal, and showed signs of the first Industrial revolution.[13][14] The region was later annexed into the Bengal Presidency by the British East India Company after the Battle of Buxar in 1764.[15][16] From 1772 to 1911, Calcutta was the capital of all of East India Company's territories and then the capital of the entirety of India after the establishment of the Viceroyalty.[17] From 1912 to India's Independence in 1947, it was the capital of the Bengal Province.[18]
The region was a hotbed of the Indian independence movement and has remained one of India's great artistic and intellectual centres.[19] Following widespread religious violence, the Bengal Legislative Council and the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted on the Partition of Bengal in 1947 along religious lines into two independent dominions: West Bengal, a Hindu-majority Indian state, and East Bengal, a Muslim-majority province of Pakistan which later became the independent Bangladesh. The state was also flooded with Hindu refugees from East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) in the decades following the 1947 partition of India, transforming its landscape and shaping its politics.[20][21] The early and prolonged exposure to British administration resulted in an expansion of Western education, culminating in developments in science, institutional education, and social reforms in the region, including what became known as the Bengali Renaissance. Several regional and pan−Indian empires throughout Bengal's history have shaped its culture, cuisine, and architecture.
Post-Indian independence, as a welfare state, West Bengal's economy is based on agricultural production and small and medium-sized enterprises.[22] The state's cultural heritage, besides varied folk traditions, ranges from stalwarts in literature including Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore to scores of musicians, film-makers and artists. For several decades, the state underwent political violence and economic stagnation after the beginning of communist rule in 1977 before it rebounded.[23] In 2023–24, the economy of West Bengal is the sixth-largest state economy in India with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹17.19 lakh crore (US$220 billion),[5] and has the country's 20th-highest GSDP per capita of ₹121,267 (US$1,500)[24] as of 2020–21. Despite being one of the fastest-growing major economies, West Bengal has struggled to attract foreign direct investment due to adverse land acquisition policies, poor infrastructure, and red tape.[25][26] It also has the 26th-highest ranking among Indian states in human development index, with the index value being lower than the Indian average.[8][22] The state government debt of ₹6.47 lakh crore (US$81 billion), or 37.67% of GSDP, has dropped from 40.65% since 2010–11.[27][5] West Bengal has three World Heritage sites and ranks as the eight-most visited tourist destination in India and third-most visited state of India globally.[28][29]

Etymology

Main article: Names of Bengal
The origin of the name Bengal (Bangla and Bongo in Bengali) is unknown. One theory suggests the word derives from "Bang", the name of a Dravidian tribe that settled the region around 1000 BCE.[30] The Bengali word Bongo might have been derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga (or Banga). Although some early Sanskrit literature mentions the name Vanga, the region's early history is obscure.[31]
In 1947, at the end of British rule over the Indian subcontinent the Bengal Legislative Council and the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted on the Partition of Bengal along religious lines into two separate entities: West Bengal, which continued as an Indian state and East Bengal, a province of Pakistan, which came to be known be as East Pakistan and later became the independent Bangladesh.[11][32]
In 2011 the Government of West Bengal proposed a change in the official name of the state to Paschim Banga (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Pôshchimbônggô).[33] This is the native name of the state, literally meaning "western Bengal" in the native Bengali language. In August 2016 the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed another resolution to change the name of West Bengal to "Bengal" in English and "Bangla" in Bengali. Despite the Trinamool Congress government's efforts to forge a consensus on the name change resolution, the Indian National Congress, the Left Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party opposed the resolution.[34] However, the central government has turned down the proposal maintaining the state should have one single name for all languages instead of three and it should not be the same as that of any other territory (pointing out that the name 'Bangla' may create confusion with neighbouring Bangladesh).[34][35][36]

History

Main articles: History of Bengal, History of rulers of Bengal, and History of West Bengal

Ancient and classical period

Coin of the King Shashanka, who created the first separate political entity in Bengal, called the Gauda Kingdom
Stone Age tools dating back 20,000 years have been excavated in the state, showing human occupation 8,000 years earlier than scholars had thought.[37] According to the Indian epic Mahabharata the region was part of the Vanga Kingdom.[38] Several Vedic realms were present in the Bengal region, including Vanga, Rarh, Pundravardhana and the Suhma Kingdom. One of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is a mention by the Ancient Greeks around 100 BCE of a land named Gangaridai located at the mouths of the Ganges.[39] Bengal had overseas trade relations with Suvarnabhumi (Burma, Lower Thailand, the Lower Malay Peninsula and Sumatra).[40] According to the Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa, Prince Vijaya (c. 543 – c. 505 BCE), a Vanga Kingdom prince, conquered Lanka (modern-day Sri Lanka) and named the country Sinhala Kingdom.[41]
The kingdom of Magadha was formed in the 7th century BCE, consisting of the regions now comprising Bihar and Bengal. It was one of the four main kingdoms of India at the time of the lives of Mahavira, the principal figure of Jainism and Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism. It consisted of several janapadas, or kingdoms.[42] Under Ashoka, the Maurya Empire of Magadha in the 3rd century BCE extended over nearly all of South Asia, including Afghanistan and parts of Balochistan. From the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE, the kingdom of Magadha served as the seat of the Gupta Empire.[43]
The Pala Empire was an imperial power during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal.
Two kingdoms—Vanga or Samatata, and Gauda—are said in some texts to have appeared after the end of the Gupta Empire although details of their ascendancy are uncertain.[44] The first recorded independent king of Bengal was Shashanka, who reigned in the early 7th century.[45] Shashanka is often recorded in Buddhist annals as an intolerant Hindu ruler noted for his persecution of the Buddhists. He murdered Rajyavardhana, the Buddhist king of Thanesar, and is noted for destroying the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, and replacing Buddha statues with Shiva lingams.[46] After a period of anarchy,[47]: 36 the Pala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years beginning in the 8th century. A shorter reign of the Hindu Sena dynasty followed.[48]
Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty invaded some areas of Bengal between 1021 and 1023.[49]
Islam was introduced through trade with the Abbasid Caliphate.[50] Following the Ghurid conquests led by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, it spread across the entire Bengal region. Mosques, madrasas and khanqahs were built throughout these stages. During the Islamic Bengal Sultanate, founded in 1352, Bengal was a major world trading nation and was often referred by the Europeans as the richest country with which to trade.[51] Later, in 1576, it was absorbed into the Mughal Empire.[52]

Medieval and early modern periods

Firoz Minar at Gauḍa was built during the Bengal Sultanate.
Subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region.[53] It was ruled by dynasties of the Bengal Sultanate and feudal lords under the Delhi Sultanate for the next few hundred years. The Bengal Sultanate was interrupted for twenty years by a Hindu uprising under Raja Ganesha. In the 16th century, Mughal general Islam Khan conquered Bengal. Administration by governors appointed by the court of the Mughal Empire gave way to semi-independence under the Nawabs of Murshidabad, who nominally respected the sovereignty of the Mughals in Delhi. Several independent Hindu states were established in Bengal during the Mughal period, including those of Pratapaditya of Jessore District and Raja Sitaram Ray of Bardhaman. Following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb and the Governor of Bengal, Shaista Khan, the proto-industrialised Mughal Bengal became a semi-independent state under the Nawabs of Bengal, and showed signs of the world's first Industrial revolution.[13][14] The Koch dynasty in northern Bengal flourished during the 16th and 17th centuries; it weathered the Mughals and survived until the advent of the British colonial era.[54][55]

Colonial period

An 1880 map of Bengal
Several European traders reached this area in the late 15th century. The British East India Company defeated Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab, in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The company gained the right to collect revenue in Bengal subah (province) in 1765 with the signing of the treaty between the East India company and the Mughal emperor following the Battle of Buxar in 1764.[56] The Bengal Presidency was established in 1765; it later incorporated all British-controlled territory north of the Central Provinces (now Madhya Pradesh), from the mouths of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra to the Himalayas and the Punjab. The Bengal famine of 1770 claimed millions of lives due to tax policies enacted by the British company.[57] Calcutta, the headquarters of the East India company, was named the capital of British-held territories in India in 1773.[58] The failed Indian rebellion of 1857 started near Calcutta and resulted in a transfer of authority to the British Crown,[59] administered by the Viceroy of India.[60]
Subhas Chandra Bose, he was a leading freedom fighter of India
The Bengal Renaissance and the Brahmo Samaj socio-cultural reform movements significantly influenced the cultural and economic life of Bengal.[61] Between 1905 and 1911 an abortive attempt was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones.[62] Bengal suffered from the Great Bengal famine in 1943, which claimed three million lives during World War II.[63] Bengalis played a major role in the Indian independence movement, in which revolutionary groups such as Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar were dominant.[19] Armed attempts against the British Raj from Bengal reached a climax when news of Subhas Chandra Bose leading the Indian National Army against the British reached Bengal. The Indian National Army was subsequently routed by the British.[64]

Indian independence and afterwards

When India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to the Dominion of India and was named West Bengal. The eastern part went to the Dominion of Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan in 1956), becoming the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971.[65] In 1950 the Princely State of Cooch Behar merged with West Bengal.[66] In 1955 the former French enclave of Chandannagar, which had passed into Indian control after 1950, was integrated into West Bengal; portions of Bihar were also subsequently merged with West Bengal. Both West and East Bengal experienced large influxes of refugees during and after the partition in 1947. Refugee resettlement and related issues continued to play a significant role in the politics and socio-economic condition of the state.[66]
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
During the 1970s and 1980s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist–Maoist movement by groups known as the Naxalites damaged much of the city's infrastructure, leading to a period of economic stagnation and deindustrialisation.[23] The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 resulted in an influx of millions of refugees to West Bengal, causing significant strains on its infrastructure.[67] The 1974 smallpox epidemic killed thousands. West Bengal politics underwent a major change when the Left Front won the 1977 assembly election, defeating the incumbent Indian National Congress. The Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), governed the state for the next three decades.[68]
The state's economic recovery gathered momentum after the central government introduced economic liberalisations in the mid-1990s. This was aided by the advent of information technology and IT-enabled services. Beginning in the mid-2000s, armed activists conducted minor terrorist attacks in some parts of the state.[69][70] Clashes with the administration took place at several controversial locations over the issue of industrial land acquisition.[71][72] This became a decisive reason behind the defeat of the ruling Left Front government in the 2011 assembly election.[73] Although the economy was severely damaged during the unrest in the 1970s, the state has managed to revive its economy steadily throughout the years.[74][75][76] The state has shown improvement regarding bandhs (strikes)[77][78][79] and educational infrastructure.[80] Significant strides have been made in reducing unemployment,[81] though the state suffers from substandard healthcare services,[82][83] a lack of socio-economic development,[84] poor infrastructure,[85] unemployment and civil violence.[86][87] In 2006 the state's healthcare system was severely criticised in the aftermath of the West Bengal blood test kit scam.[88][89]

Geography

Main articles: Geography of West Bengal and Climate of West Bengal
Many areas remain flooded during the heavy rains brought by a monsoon.
West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometres (34,267 sq mi).[3] The Darjeeling Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state is a part of the eastern Himalayas mountain range. In this region is Sandakfu, which, at 3,636 m (11,929 ft), is the highest peak in the state.[90] The narrow Terai region separates the hills from the North Bengal plains, which in turn transitions 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 in the extreme south, while the Sundarbans mangrove forests form a geographical landmark at the Ganges delta.[91]
The main river in West Bengal is the Ganges, which divides into two branches. One branch enters Bangladesh as the Padma, or Pôdda, while the other flows through West Bengal as the Bhagirathi River and Hooghly River. The Farakka barrage over the Ganges feeds the Hooghly branch of the river by a feeder canal. Its water flow management has been a source of lingering dispute between India and Bangladesh.[92] The Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka and Mahananda rivers are in the northern hilly region. The western plateau region has rivers like the Damodar, Ajay and Kangsabati. The Ganges delta and the Sundarbans area have numerous rivers and creeks. Pollution of the Ganges from indiscriminate waste dumped into the river is a major problem.[93] Damodar, another tributary of the Ganges and once known as the "Sorrow of Bengal" (due to its frequent floods), has several dams under the Damodar Valley Project. At least nine districts in the state suffer from arsenic contamination of groundwater, and as of 2017 an estimated 1.04 crore people were afflicted by arsenic poisoning.[94]
West Bengal's climate varies from tropical savanna in the southern portions to humid subtropical in the north. The main seasons are summer, the 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. The highest daytime temperatures range from 38 °C (100 °F) to 45 °C (113 °F).[95] At night, a cool southerly breeze carries moisture from the Bay of Bengal. In early summer, brief squalls and thunderstorms known as Kalbaisakhi, or Nor'westers, often occur.[96] West Bengal receives the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian Ocean monsoon that moves in a southeast to northwest direction. Monsoons bring rain to the whole state from June to September. Heavy rainfall of above 250 centimetres (98 in) is observed in the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar district. During the arrival of the monsoons, low pressure in the Bay of Bengal region often leads to the formation of storms in the coastal areas. Winter (December–January) is mild over the plains with average minimum temperatures of 15 °C (59 °F).[95] A cold and dry northern wind blows in the winter, substantially lowering the humidity level. The Darjeeling Himalayan Hill region experiences a harsh winter, with occasional snowfall.[97]

Flora and fauna

A Royal Bengal tiger

Sal trees in the Arabari forest in West Midnapur

The "India State of Forest Report 2017", recorded forest area in the state is 16,847 km2 (6,505 sq mi),[98][99] while in 2013, forest area was 16,805 km2 (6,488 sq mi), which was 18.93% of the state's geographical area, compared to the then national average of 21.23%.[100] Reserves and protected and unclassed forests constitute 59.4%, 31.8% and 8.9%, respectively, of forested areas, as of 2009.[101] Part of the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans in southern West Bengal.[102]
From a phytogeographic viewpoint, the southern part of West Bengal can be divided into two regions: the Gangetic plain and the littoral mangrove forests of the Sundarbans.[103] The alluvial soil of the Gangetic plain, combined with favourable rainfall, makes this region especially fertile.[103] Much of the vegetation of the western part of the state has similar species composition with the plants of the Chota Nagpur plateau in the adjoining state of Jharkhand.[103] The predominant commercial tree species is Shorea robusta, commonly known as the sal tree. The coastal region of Purba Medinipur exhibits coastal vegetation; the predominant tree is the Casuarina. A notable tree from the Sundarbans is the ubiquitous sundari (Heritiera fomes), from which the forest gets its name.[104]
The distribution of vegetation in northern West Bengal is dictated by elevation and precipitation. For example, the foothills of the Himalayas, the Dooars, are densely wooded with sal and other tropical evergreen trees.[105] Above an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), the forest becomes predominantly subtropical. In Darjeeling, which is above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), temperate forest trees like oaks, conifers and rhododendrons predominate.[105]
3.26% of the geographical area of West Bengal is protected land, comprising fifteen wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks—Sundarbans National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park and Singalila National Park.[101] Extant wildlife includes Indian rhinoceros, Indian elephant, deer, leopard, gaur, tiger and crocodiles, as well as many bird species. Migratory birds come to the state during the winter.[106] The high-altitude forests of Singalila National Park shelter barking deer, red panda, chinkara, takin, serow, pangolin, minivet and kalij pheasants. The Sundarbans are noted for a reserve project devoted to conserving the endangered Bengal tiger, although the forest hosts many other endangered species such as the Gangetic dolphin, river terrapin and estuarine crocodile.[107] The mangrove forest also acts as a natural fish nursery, supporting coastal fishes along the Bay of Bengal.[107] Recognising its special conservation value, the Sundarbans area has been declared a Biosphere Reserve.[101]

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of West Bengal and Politics of West Bengal
See also: Council of Ministers of West Bengal and List of Chief Ministers of West Bengal
West Bengal is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are two branches of government. The legislature, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The judiciary is composed of the Calcutta High Court and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister although the titular head of government is the Governor. The Governor is the Head of State appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 295 members, or MLAs,[108] including one nominated from the Anglo-Indian community. Terms of office run for five years unless the Assembly is dissolved before the completion of the term. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. The state contributes 42 seats to the Lok Sabha [109] and 16 seats to the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament.[110]
Politics in West Bengal is dominated by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), and the Left Front alliance (led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M)). Following the West Bengal State Assembly Election in 2011, the All India Trinamool Congress and Indian National Congress coalition under Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress was elected to power with 225 seats in the legislature.[111]
Prior to this, West Bengal was ruled by the Left Front for 34 years (1977–2011), making it the world's longest-running democratically elected communist government.[68] Banerjee was re-elected twice as Chief Minister in the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election and 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election with 211 and 215 seats respectively, an absolute majority by the Trinamool Congress.[112] The state has one autonomous region, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.[113]

Main offices in West Bengal

Raj Bhavan, the residence of the governor of the state

West Bengal Legislative Assembly

Calcutta High Court, highest court in West Bengal

Nabanna, temporary office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal

Writers' Building, West Bengal Government Secretariat

Main article: List of districts of West Bengal
Districts of West BengalA hut in a village in the Hooghly district
As of 1 November 2023, West Bengal is divided into 23 districts.[114]
DistrictPopulationGrowth rateSex ratioLiteracyDensity per square KilometerNorth 24 Parganas10,009,78112.0495584.062445South 24 Parganas8,161,96118.1795677.51819Purba Bardhaman4,835,432–94574.73890Paschim Bardhaman2,882,031–92278.751800Murshidabad7,103,80721.0995866.591334West Midnapore5,913,45713.8696678.00631Hooghly5,519,1459.4696181.801753Nadia5,167,60012.2294774.971316East Midnapore5,095,87515.3693887.021081Howrah4,850,02913.5093983.313306Kolkata4,496,694−1.6790886.3124306Maldah3,988,84521.2294461.731069Jalpaiguri3,872,84613.8795373.25622Alipurduar [a]1,700,000–––400Bankura3,596,29212.6495470.95523Birbhum3,502,40416.1595670.68771North Dinajpur3,007,13423.1593959.07958Purulia2,930,11515.5295764.48468Cooch Behar2,819,08613.7194274.78832Darjeeling1,846,82314.7797079.56586Dakshin Dinajpur1,676,27611.5295672.82755Kalimpong [a]202,239–––270Jhargram [a]1,136,548–––374

^ Jump up to:
a b c Was created after the 2011 Census

Each district is governed by a district collector or district magistrate, appointed by either the Indian Administrative Service or the West Bengal Civil Service.[115] Each district is subdivided into sub-divisions, governed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, and again into blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.[116]