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Kolkata

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   Kolkata
   Kolkata
   State
    -  District(s)           West Bengal
                              -  Kolkata ^†
   Coordinates               22.33° N 88.20° E
   Area
    -  Elevation             185  km²
                              - 9 m
   Time zone                 IST ( UTC+5:30)
   Population ( 2001)
    -  Density
    -  Agglomeration ( 2006) 4,580,544
                              - 24,760/km²
                              - 14,681,589 ( 3rd)
   Mayor                     Bikash Bhattacharya
   Codes
    -  Postal
    - Telephone
    -  Vehicle
                              - 700 xxx
                              - +91 (0)33
                              - WB-01 to WB-04
                       Website: www.kolkatamycity.com
   ^† The Kolkata urban agglomeration also includes portions of North 24
   Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts.

   Kolkata  ( IPA: ['kolkat̪a] Bengali: কলকাতা) ( formerly Calcutta ) is
   the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in
   eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The city has a
   population of almost 5 million, with an extended metropolitan
   population of over 14 million, making it the third-largest urban
   agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India.

   The city served as the capital of India during the British Raj until
   1911. Once the centre of modern education, science, culture and
   politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years
   following India's independence in 1947. However, since the year 2000 an
   economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid decline, leading to a
   spurt in the city's growth. Like other large cities, Kolkata continues
   to struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and
   traffic congestion. A vibrant city with a distinct socio-political
   culture, Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from
   the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union
   movements.

   Referred to as the "Cultural Capital of India", "The City of
   Processions", and the "City of Joy", Kolkata has been home to
   luminaries such as Rabindranath Tagore, Ronald Ross, Subhas Chandra
   Bose, Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Satyendranath Bose, Jagdish Chandra
   Bose, Swami Vivekananda and many others.

Name

   The names Kolkata and Calcutta were probably based on Kalikata, the
   name of one of the three villages ( Kalikata, Sutanuti, Gobindapur) in
   the area before the arrival of the British. "Kalikata", in turn, is an
   anglicised version of Kalikshetra ("Land of the goddess Kali").
   However, other theories exist regarding the origin of the name. The
   original settlement of the city was claimed to be located beside a
   khal, meaning a canal in Bengali. Khal might have given rise to the
   name. Again, the place was known for the manufacture of shell-lime and
   the name could have been derived from lime (kali) and burnt shell
   (kata). Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali
   term kilkila ("flat area"). The government of West Bengal changed the
   official name of the city from Calcutta to Kolkata; the new name was
   legalised in 2001. A number of other Indian cities have enacted similar
   name changes.

History

   Government House in colonial Kolkata — when it was known as the "City
   of Palaces".
   Enlarge
   Government House in colonial Kolkata — when it was known as the "City
   of Palaces".

   The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site,
   provides evidence that the area has been inhabited for over two
   millennia. The city's documented history, however, begins with the
   arrival of the British East India Company in 1690, when the Company was
   consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an
   administrator with the Company who eventually settled in Sutanuti after
   invading through Hijli Kingdom, is traditionally credited as the
   founder of this city.

   In 1699,the British completed the construction of old Fort William,
   which was used to station its troops and as a regional base. Kolkata
   (then Calcutta) was declared a Presidency City, and later became the
   headquarters of the Bengal Presidency. Faced with frequent skirmishes
   with French forces, in 1756 the British began to upgrade their
   fortifications. When protests against the militarisation by the Nawab
   of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah went unheeded, he attacked and captured Fort
   William leading to the infamous Black Hole incident. A force of Company
   sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the
   following year. Clive himself described it as one of the most wicked
   places in the Universe.

   Kolkata was named the capital of British India in 1772. A contemporary
   description refers to the splendid sloth and languid debauchery of
   European society, when great men rode about in State coaches, with a
   dozen servants running before and behind them to bawl out their titles.
   It was during this period that the marshes surrounding the city were
   drained and the government area was laid out along the banks of the
   Hooghly River. Richard Wellesley, the Governor General between
   1797-1805, was largely responsible for the growth of the city and its
   public architecture which led to the description of Kolkata as 'the
   City of Palaces'. Miss Emily Eden (the sister of the Governor General,
   who gave her name to Eden Gardens), in 1836 wrote of Calcutta: "Depend
   upon it, Calcutta is the finest place in the world. I know there are
   towns with far larger and grander buildings; but then they are not half
   so clean, and new, and beautiful, as this bride-like city. I have been
   standing on the roof of the house the last half-hour for air, and, as
   it was midnight, had an opportunity of seeing all the gay company -
   returning from an entertainment at the government-house; and I assure
   you I never witnessed any thing that could compare with the splendour
   exhibited."
   Kolkata port in 1945. It was an important military port during WW2.
   Enlarge
   Kolkata port in 1945. It was an important military port during WW2.

   By the early 19th century, Kolkata was split into two distinct areas —
   one British, one Indian, known as 'Black Town'. Even at the time, the
   poverty of the 'Black Town' shanties was considered shocking. The city
   underwent rapid industrial growth from the 1850s, especially in the
   textile and jute sectors; this caused a massive investment in
   infrastructure projects like rail roads and telegraph by British
   government. The coalescence of British and Indian culture resulted in
   the emergence of a new class of urbane Indians — Asia's first middle
   class — whose members were often professionals, read newspapers, were
   Anglophiles, and usually belonged to upper- caste Hindu communities.
   Throughout the nineteenth century, a socio-cultural reform, often
   referred to as the Bengal Renaissance resulted in the general uplifting
   of the people. In 1883, Surendranath Banerjea organised a national
   conference — the first of its kind in nineteenth century India.
   Gradually Kolkata became a centre of the Indian independence movement,
   especially revolutionary organisations. The 1905 Partition of Bengal on
   communal grounds resulted in widespread public agitation and the
   boycott of British goods (swadeshi movement). These activities, along
   with the administratively disadvantageous location of Kolkata in the
   eastern fringes of India, prompted the British to move the capital to
   New Delhi in 1911. The city's port was bombed twice by the Japanese
   during World War II. As food stocks were being diverted to feed Allied
   troops, millions starved to death during the Bengal famine of 1943. In
   1946, demands for the creation of a Muslim state led to large-scale
   communal violence resulting in the deaths of over 2,000 people. The
   partition of India also created intense violence and a shift in
   demographics - large numbers of Muslims left for East Pakistan, while
   hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into the city.

   Over the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent
   Marxist-Maoist movement — the Naxalites — damaged much of the city's
   infrastructure, leading to an economic stagnation. In 1971, war between
   India and Pakistan led to the mass influx of thousands of refugees into
   Kolkata resulting in a massive strain on its infrastructure. In the
   mid-1980s, Mumbai overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city.
   Kolkata has been a strong base of Indian communism as West Bengal has
   been ruled by the CPI(M) dominated Left Front for three decades now —
   the world's longest-running democratically-elected Communist
   government. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after
   economic reforms in India introduced by the central government in the
   mid-1990s. Since 2000, Information Technology (IT) services revitalized
   the city’s stagnant economy. The city has also experienced a growth in
   the manufacturing sector. Following similar moves elsewhere in the
   country, the state government changed the city’s official name from
   Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001; this act was seen largely as a political
   ploy.

Geography

   Monsoon clouds over the Howrah Bridge
   Enlarge
   Monsoon clouds over the Howrah Bridge
   A radar image of Kolkata showing different urban land use patterns.
   North is to the upper left. Central Kolkata is the light blue and
   orange area on the right of the river in the center of the image.
   Enlarge
   A radar image of Kolkata showing different urban land use patterns.
   North is to the upper left. Central Kolkata is the light blue and
   orange area on the right of the river in the centre of the image.

   Kolkata is located in eastern India at 22°33′N 88°20′E in the Ganges
   Delta at an elevation ranging between 1.5 to 9  metres. It is spread
   linearly along the banks of the River Hooghly in a north-south
   direction. Much of the city was originally a vast wetland, reclaimed
   over the decades to accommodate the city's burgeoning population. The
   Sundarbans National Park separates the city from the Bay of Bengal,
   which is located about 154 km to the south.

   Like the most of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the predominant soil type is
   alluvial. Quaternary sediments consisting of clay, silt, various grades
   of sand and gravel underlie the city. These sediments are sandwiched
   between two clay beds, the lower one at depths between 250 and 650  m
   and the upper one ranging between 10 and 40 m in thickness. According
   to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the town falls under seismic
   zone-III, in a scale of I to V (in order of increasing proneness to
   earthquakes) while the wind and cyclone zoning is "very high damage
   risk", according to UNDP report.

Climate

   Kolkata has a tropical climate. The annual mean temperature is 26.8  °C
   (80  °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 19 °C to 30 °C (67 °F to
   86 °F). Summers are hot and humid and maximum temperatures often exceed
   40 °C (104 °F) during May and June. Winter tends to last for only about
   two and a half months, with seasonal lows dipping to the 12 °C – 14 °C
   between December and January. The highest recorded temperature is 43 °C
   (111 °F) and the lowest is 5 °C (41 °F). Often during early summer,
   dusty squalls followed by spells of thunderstorm and heavy rains lash
   the city, bringing relief from the humid heat. These thunderstorms are
   locally known as Kal baisakhi (Nor'westers).

   The southeast monsoon rains lash the city between June and September
   and supplies the city with most of its annual rainfall of 1,582 mm. The
   highest rainfall occurs during the monsoon in August (306  mm). The
   city receives 2,528 hours of sunshine per annum, with the maximum
   sunlight occurring in March. Pollution is a major concern in Kolkata,
   and the Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) level is high when compared
   to other major cities of India, leading to regular smog and haze.

Urban structure

   Kolkata city, under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal
   Corporation (KMC), is not very large and has an area of 185 km². The
   Kolkata urban agglomeration, however, has continuously expanded and as
   of 2006, the urban agglomeration ( Kolkata Metropolitan Area) is spread
   over 1750 km² and comprises of 157 postal areas. The urban
   agglomeration is formally administered by several local governments
   including 38 local municipalities. The urban agglomeration comprises of
   72 cities and 527 towns and villages. The suburban areas of Kolkata
   metropolitan district incorporates parts of the districts North 24
   Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia.

   The east-to-west dimension of the proper city is narrow, stretching
   from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan
   Bypass in the east, a span of roughly 5–6 km. The north-south expansion
   is roughly divided into North, Central and South Kolkata. North Kolkata
   locality is the oldest part of the city, with 19th century architecture
   and narrow alleyways. The ambience in this area is reminiscent of the
   old Kolkata. South Kolkata grew mostly after independence and consists
   of elite localities. The Salt lake City (Bidhan Nagar) area to the
   northeast of the city is a planned section of Kolkata. Rajarhat, also
   called New Town, is the newest township being developed on the
   north-eastern fringes of Kolkata city.

   Central Kolkata houses the central business district around the B. B.
   D. Bagh area. The government secretariat, General Post Office, High
   Court, Lalbazar Police HQs and several other government and private
   offices are located here. The Maidan is a large open field in the heart
   of the city where several sporting events and public meetings are held.
   Several companies have set up their offices around the area south of
   Park Street which has become a secondary Central Business District.

Economy

   Vendors selling flowers in a market Enlarge
   Vendors selling flowers in a market

   Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern
   India and the northeastern states. It is home to the Calcutta Stock
   Exchange — India's second-largest bourse. It is also a major commercial
   and military port, and the only city in the region to have an
   international airport. Once India's leading city and Capital, Kolkata
   experienced a steady economic decline in the years following India's
   independence due to the prevalent unstabilised political condition and
   rise in trade-unionism supported by left-wing parties. Between the
   1960s to the mid 1990s, flight of capital was enormous as many large
   factories were closed or downsized and businesses relocated. The lack
   of capital and resources coupled with a worldwide glut in demand in the
   city's traditional industries(e.g. jute) added to the depressed state
   of the city's economy. The liberalisation of the Indian economy in the
   1990s along with the election of a new reformist Chief Minister,
   Buddhadeb Bhattacharya have resulted in the improvement of the city's
   fortunes.

   Until recently, flexible production had always been the norm in
   Kolkata, and the informal sector has comprised more than 40% of the
   labour force. State and federal government employees make up a large
   percentage of the city's workforce. The city has a large unskilled and
   semi-skilled labour population, alongwith other blue-collar and
   knowledge workers. Kolkata's economic revival was led largely by IT
   services, with the IT sector growing at 70% yearly — twice that of the
   national average. In recent years there has been a surge of investments
   in the housing infrastructure sector with several new projects coming
   up in the city. Kolkata is home to many industrial units operated by
   large Indian corporations with products ranging from electronics to
   jute. Some notable companies headquartered in Kolkata include ITC
   Limited, Bata India, Birla Corporation, Coal India Limited, Damodar
   Valley Corporation, United Bank of India, UCO Bank and Allahabad Bank
   Vijaya Bank. Recently, various events like adoption of "Look East"
   policy by the government of India, opening of the Nathu La Pass in
   Sikkim as a border trade-route with China and immense interest in the
   South East Asian countries to enter the Indian market and invest have
   put Kolkata in an advantageous position.

Civic Administration

                                           Kolkata City officials
                                                 Mayor Bikash Bhattacharya
                                          Deputy Mayor    Kalyan Mukherjee
                                               Sheriff    Amal Chakraborty
                                   Police Commissioner    Prasun Mukherjee

   The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), (formerly the Calcutta
   Municipal Corporation), established in 1876, is responsible for the
   civic maintenance and infrastructure of Kolkata. The city is divided
   into 141 administrative wards that are grouped into 15 boroughs. Each
   of these wards elects a councillor to the KMC. Each borough has a
   committee consisting of the councillors elected from the respective
   wards of the borough. The Corporation, through the borough committees,
   maintains government-aided schools, hospitals and municipal markets and
   partakes in urban planning and road maintenance. The corporation as the
   apex body discharges its function through the Mayor-in-Council,
   consisting of a mayor, assisted by a deputy mayor, and ten other
   elected members of the KMC. The mayor is responsible for the overall
   functioning of the KMC and has a tenure of five-years. At present, the
   CPI(M) led Left Front holds the power in KMC.
   Writers' building, circa 1915 CE
   Enlarge
   Writers' building, circa 1915 CE

   The city also has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of
   Kolkata. The Sheriff presides over various city-related functions and
   conferences. Another ancillary civic body is the Kolkata Metropolitan
   Development Authority (KMDA) responsible for the statutory planning and
   development of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). The KMA includes a
   large suburban hinterland around the urban centers of Kolkata.

   As the capital of the state and the seat of the Government of West
   Bengal, Kolkata houses the state Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat
   ( Writers' Building) and the Calcutta High Court. Kolkata also has
   lower courts; the Small Causes Court for civil matters, and the
   Sessions Court for criminal cases. The Kolkata Police, headed by the
   Police Commissioner, comes under the West Bengal Home Ministry. The
   city is administratively divided into five police-zones subdivided into
   48 local police stations. The city elects 3 representatives to the Lok
   Sabha (India's lower house) and 21 representatives to the state
   Legislative Assembly.

Transport

   Bus, yellow cabs, auto rickshaws and other vehicles in Kolkata traffic.
   Enlarge
   Bus, yellow cabs, auto rickshaws and other vehicles in Kolkata traffic.
   Two unique modes of Kolkata transport: the tram (reducing in number and
   losing popularity), and the rickshaw.
   Enlarge
   Two unique modes of Kolkata transport: the tram (reducing in number and
   losing popularity), and the rickshaw.

   Public transport is provided by the Kolkata suburban railway and the
   Kolkata Metro as well as by trams and buses. The suburban network is
   extensive and extends into the distant suburbs. The Kolkata Metro, run
   by the Indian Railways, is the oldest underground system in India. It
   runs parallel to the Hooghly and spans the north-south length of the
   city covering a distance of 16.45  km. Buses are the preferred mode of
   transport and are run by both government agencies and private
   operators. Kolkata is India's only remaining city to have a tram
   network, operated by Calcutta Tramways Company. The slow-moving tram
   services are restricted to certain areas of the city.

   Hired forms of mechanised transport include the all-yellow metered
   taxis, while auto rickshaws ply in specific routes. Almost all the
   taxis in Kolkata are Ambassadors. This is unlike most other cities
   where Tata Indica or Fiats are more common. In some areas of the city,
   cycle rickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws are also patronised by the
   public for short distances. Private owned vehicles are less in number
   and usage compared to other major cities. However, the city witnessed a
   steady increase in the number of registered vehicles; 2002 data showed
   an increase of 44% over a period of seven years. The road space
   (matched with population density) in the city is only 6%, compared to
   23% in Delhi and 17% in Mumbai, creating major traffic problems.
   Kolkata Metro Railway and a number of new roads and flyovers have
   decongested the traffic to some extent.

   Kolkata has two major long distance railway stations at Howrah Station
   and Sealdah. A third station named Kolkata has been launched in early
   2006. The city is the headquarters of two divisions of the Indian
   Railways — Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway.

   The city's sole airport, the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International
   Airport at Dum Dum to the north of the city, operates both domestic and
   international flights. Kolkata is also a major riverport in eastern
   India. The Kolkata Port Trust manages both the Kolkata docks and the
   Haldia docks. There are passenger service to Port Blair in the Andaman
   and Nicobar Islands and cargo ship service to various ports in India
   and abroad, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India. Also there
   are ferry services connecting Kolkata with its twin city of Howrah.

Demographics

   One of Kolkata's slums
   Enlarge
   One of Kolkata's slums

   Residents of Kolkata are called Calcuttans. As of 2001, Kolkata city
   had a population of 4,580,544, while the urban agglomeration had a
   population of 13,216,546. The sex ratio is 828 females per 1000 males –
   which is lower than the national average, because many working males
   come from rural areas, where they leave behind their families.
   Kolkata's literacy rate of 80.86% exceeds the all-India average of
   59.8%. Kolkata Municipal Corporation area has registered a growth rate
   of 4.1%, which is the lowest among the million-plus cities in India.

   Bengalis comprise the majority of Kolkata's population, with Marwaris
   and Bihari communities forming a large portion of the minorities. Some
   of Kolkata's notable communities include Chinese, Tamils, Marwaris,
   Anglo-Indians, Armenians, Tibetans, Maharashtrians and Parsis. Major
   languages spoken in Kolkata are Bengali, Hindi, English, and Bhojpuri.
   According to the 2001 census, 77.68% of the population in Kolkata is
   Hindu, 20.27% Muslim and 0.88% Christian. Other minorities such as
   Sikhs, Buddhist, Jews and Zoroastrian constitute the rest of the city's
   population. 1.5 million people, who constitute about a third of the
   city's population, live in 2,011 registered and 3,500 unregistered
   (occupied by squatters) slums.

   Kolkata reported 67.6% of total Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes
   registered in 35 Indian mega cities. Kolkata police district registered
   10,757 IPC cases in 2004, which was 10th highest in the country. The
   crime rate in the city was 81.4 per 100,000 against the national rate
   of 168.8 in 2004. Kolkata's Sonagachi area, with more than 10,000 sex
   workers, is one of India's largest red-light districts.

Culture

   Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and
   revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the
   birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkatans
   tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its
   tradition of welcoming new talent has made it a "city of furious
   creative energy". The city also has a tradition of dramas in the form
   of jatra (a kind of folk-theatre), theatres and Group Theatres.

   A characteristic feature of Kolkata is the Para or neighbourhoods
   having a strong sense of community. Typically, every para has its own
   community club with a clubroom and often, a playing field. People here
   habitually indulge in adda or leisurely chat, and these adda sessions
   are often a form of freestyle intellectual conversation. The city has a
   tradition of political graffiti depicting everything from outrageous
   slander to witty banter and limericks, caricatures to propaganda.

   Kolkata is known for its Bengali cinema industry dubbed "Tollywood",
   and for its art films. Its long tradition of filmmaking includes
   acclaimed directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and
   Ritwik Ghatak to contemporary directors such as Aparna Sen and
   Rituparno Ghosh. The city is also noted for its appreciation of Indian
   classical music and the rich literary tradition set by Bankim Chandra
   Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Jibanananda Das, Kaji Nazrul Islam,
   Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Samaresh Basu,
   Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Buddhadev Guha, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Swapnamoy
   Chakraborty among others.

   Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and macher jhol (fish
   curry), with Rasgulla, and Mishti Doi (sweet yoghurt) as dessert.
   Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes various hilsa
   preparations (a favourite among Bengalis). Street 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) and Chinese food from China Town in the eastern parts
   of the city are quite popular. Men usually prefer Western-style
   clothing and also traditional dhotis and kurtas, although women tend to
   prefer wearing traditional saris.

   Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Roman,
   Oriental and Indo-Islamic (including Mughal) motifs. The "City of
   Palaces", as Kolkata is often called, is dotted with colonial
   buildings. Some of the major buildings of this period are well
   maintained and several buildings have been declared "heritage
   structures", while others are in various stages of decay. Established
   in 1814, the Indian Museum is the oldest museum in Asia and houses vast
   collection of Indian natural history and Indian art. The Victoria
   Memorial, one of the major tourist attractions in Kolkata, has a museum
   documenting the city's history. The National Library of India is
   India's leading public library. Academy of Fine Arts and other art
   galleries hold regular art exhibitions.

   Durga Puja is the most notable of the religious and social festival in
   Kolkata. Durga Puja occurs over a period of five days in October. Other
   notable festivals include Diwali, Eid, Holi , Christmas, poila boishak
   (new year), Saraswati puja and Poush parbon (harvest festival). Some of
   the cultural festivals are Kolkata Book Fair, Dover Lane music
   festival, Kolkata Film Festival and National Theatre Festival.

Education

   Medical College Kolkata, one of India's oldest medical institutions
   Enlarge
   Medical College Kolkata, one of India's oldest medical institutions

   Kolkata's schools are either run by the state government or by private
   (many of which are religious) organisations. Schools mainly use English
   or Bengali as the medium of instruction, though Hindi and Urdu are also
   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 in a 2 year 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.
   Students usually choose from one of three streams — liberal arts,
   commerce, or science, though vocational streams are also available.
   Upon completing the required coursework, students may enrol in general
   or professional degree programmes.

   Kolkata has nine universities; numerous colleges are affiliated to
   these nine or to other universities located outside of Kolkata. The
   University of Calcutta (founded in 1857) has more than 200 affiliated
   colleges. Bengal Engineering & Science University and Jadavpur
   University have notable engineering institutions. Other notable
   institutions are Presidency College and St. Xavier's College. Some
   institutions of national importance are the Asiatic Society, the Indian
   Statistical Institute, the Indian Institute of Management, the Saha
   Institute of Nuclear Physics, the West Bengal National University of
   Juridical Sciences, the Marine Engineering and Research Institute and
   the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER),
   Kolkata.

Sports

   Football is the most popular sport in the city and the city is one of
   the major centres of football activity in India. Kolkata is home to top
   national clubs such as East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting Club and Mohan
   Bagan. Like in the rest of India, cricket is popular and is played
   throughout the city in its grounds and streets. Tournaments, especially
   those involving outdoor games like cricket, football, and badminton or
   indoor games like carrom, are regularly organized on an inter-locality
   or inter-club basis. The maidan area hosts several minor football and
   cricket clubs and coaching institutes. Notable sports stars from
   Kolkata include former Indian national cricket captain Sourav Ganguly
   and Olympic tennis bronze medallist Leander Paes.

   Kolkata is known for its large stadia. The Eden Gardens is, at present,
   one of only two 100,000-seat cricket amphitheatres 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. Kolkata has three
   18-hole golf courses at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (the first golf
   club in the world outside Britain), Tollygunge Club and Fort William.
   The Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) holds regular equestrian races and
   polo matches. The Calcutta South Club is the venue for some national
   and international tennis tournaments. The Calcutta Rowing Club hosts
   regular rowing races and training.

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