Located in the country’s east, West Bengal is the fourth most populous state of the country. It shares its boundaries with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam.
A land that cradled India’s struggle for independence, today homes the bustling city of Kolkata, former capital of British India and currently one of the metropolitan cities. West Bengal is agriculture based economy, though medium-sized industries and service sector also play a major role.
Overall, the state fairs well in terms of human development, including status of health and education. However, for decades, industrial growth has been sluggish throughout the state. Such scenario eventually led to large scale unemployment causing qualified youth migrating to other cities for jobs. Nevertheless, the state is now catching up with rapid industrialisation in other parts of the country.
Spreading wide-scale digital literacy especially among the youth of the state would lead to overall skill-enhancement. This would prepare young population to bag more and more industry oriented jobs. Moreover, information on livelihood related schemes and entitlements; taken to even the remotest corners of the state would help would help qualified individuals open doors to greater opportunities.
General
Capital | Kolkata |
Area | 88,752 Sq. Km. |
Total Population | 9.12 (Rural 70%, Urban 30%) |
Population Density | 1,028/Sq. Km. |
Population, 0-6 years | 11.59% |
Sex Ratio (per 1000 males) | 950:1000 (Rural 953:1000; Urban 944:1000) |
Total Literacy (7+ yrs) | 76.26% (Female 70.54%; Male 81.69%) |
Rural Literacy (7+ yrs) | 72.13% (Female 65.51%; Male 78.44%) |
Urban Literacy (7+ yrs) | 84.78% (Female 80.98%; Male 88.37%) |
Total Scheduled Caste Population* | 23% |
Total Scheduled Tribe Population* | 5.5% |
Total Worker Population | 38.08% (Female 18.08% ) |
Household Size | 4.5 |
Total Districts | 18 |
Total Blocks | 341 |
Total Gram Panchayat | 3340 |
(* The figures are according to 2001 Census)
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