· During the British Raj, until 1911, Calcutta
( now Kolkata ) was the capital of India.
· The first newspaper in India, the Bengal
Gazette started publishing from the city in 1780.
· The capital of West Bengal, is known for its
cultural activities and its intelligentsia.
· BENGALI, the
official state language, is the dominant language in Kolkata.
· The word Kolkata derives from the Bengali
term Kolikata, the name of one of three villages that predated the arrival
of the British.
· Located on the east bank of the Hooghly river,
it is the principal commercial, cultural, and educational centre of East India.
· The Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port.
· Having Population (census 2011) 4.5 million approx,
7th
Rank in Country and 3rd Rank in Metro.
· As of 2011, the health care system in Kolkata
consists of 48 government hospitals, and 366 private medical establishments;
· For every 10,000 people in the city, there
are 61.7 hospital beds, which is higher than the national average of 9
hospital beds per 10,000.
· The main commercial and financial hub of
East and North-East India and home to the Calcutta Stock
Exchange.
· It is a major commercial and military port, and
is the only city in eastern India to have an international airport.
· Kolkata is home to many industrial units
operated by large public- and private-sector corporations; major sectors
include steel, heavy engineering, mining, minerals, cement, pharmaceuticals,
food processing, agriculture, electronics, textiles, and jute.