113-618: The Grand Democratic Secular Front ( GDSF ) was a coalition of political parties in the Indian state of Bihar formed on 8 October 2020 after the merger of the constituents of the United Democratic Secular Alliance and a three party front. The coalition was formed in the wake of the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election and consisted of 6 parties. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen announced an alliance with Samajwadi Janata Dal Democratic ahead of
226-529: A belt of moist deciduous forest . As well as trees, this consists of brush, grasses and reeds. Bihar lies completely in the Subtropical region of the Temperate Zone, and its climatic type is humid subtropical . Its temperature is subtropical in general, with hot summers and cold winters. Bihar has an average daily high temperature of only 26 °C with a yearly average of 26 °C. The climate
339-400: A caste troika consisting the three communities, Kushwaha , Kurmi and Yadav also led an anti-upper caste agitation in the state of Bihar, pushing them to the prominence in the state's politics. However, the tipping point of this Backward Caste unity came in 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election , when the dominant OBC castes, who were at the forefront in the collective struggle against
452-553: A minister in the expanded cabinet of Nitish Kumar in 2021. The defection was followed by the attempt of JD(U) to merge the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party , which happened inevitably in 2021. The merger of RLSP into the JDU ripped the coalition apart. The coalition virtually ceased to exist after it. Bihar Maharashtra Bihar Bihar ( / b ɪ ˈ h ɑːr / ; Hindi: [bɪˈɦaːr] )
565-400: A minor presence, along with the other extreme leftist parties. Nitish Kumar has been chief minister of Bihar for 13 years between 2005 and 2020. In contrast to prior governments, which emphasised divisions of caste and religion, his political platform was based on economic development, reduction of crime and corruption, and greater social equality. Since 2010, the government confiscated
678-816: A new industrial township. Modernist American architect Joseph Allen Stein , invited to head the newly formed Department of Architecture and Planning at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta, plunged into a major project as soon as he reached India in 1952 – the designing of Durgapur city with Benjamin Polk, another American architect already living in Calcutta. Thereafter it was the task of local leaders such as Ananda Gopal Mukherjee and bureaucrats such as K.K. Sen to get Durgapur going. Bihar has Patna , Bhagalpur , Darbhanga , Muzaffarpur , Gaya , Katihar and Purnia as important urban areas. Patna
791-653: A rise in substance abuse. Bihar generally ranks among the weakest in health outcomes in comparison to other Indian states because it lacks adequate health care facilities. While the National Health Mission , the Clinical Establishments Act of 2010 , and the formation of the Empowered Action Group (EAG) provide federal funds to expand and improve healthcare services, Bihar's ability to fully utilise this funding
904-544: A total area of 94,163 km (36,357 sq mi), with an average elevation above sea level of 173 feet (53 m). It is land locked by Nepal in the north, Jharkhand in the south West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh to the west. It has three parts on the basis of physical and structural conditions: the Southern Plateau , the Shivalik Region , and Bihar's Gangetic Plain . Furthermore,
1017-562: A vast tract stretching from Punjab to Odisha . The Nanda dynasty was replaced by the Maurya Empire , India's first empire. The Maurya Empire and the religion of Buddhism arose in the region that now makes up modern Bihar. The Mauryan Empire, which originated from Magadha in 325 BCE, was founded by Chandragupta Maurya , who was born in Magadha. It had its capital at Pataliputra (modern Patna ). Mauryan Emperor Ashoka , who
1130-478: Is a state in Eastern India . It is the third largest state by population , the 12th largest by area , and the 15th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges , which flows from west to east. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form
1243-462: Is administratively divided into nine divisions and 38 districts. For the administration of urban areas, Bihar has 19 municipal corporations , 89 nagar parishads (city councils), and 154 nagar panchayats (town councils). (6,550 sq mi) (4,766 sq mi) (6,620 sq mi) (2,661 sq mi) (3,353 sq mi) (2,277 sq mi) (3,864 sq mi) (2,158 sq mi) (3,807 sq mi) Note : * Population data obtained from
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#17327901122511356-687: Is also a sacred city for Sikhs as the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here. Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Odisha . Other Important Cities are Cuttack , Brahmapur , Rourkela , Paradeep , Jajpur , Bhadrak , Balasore , Sambalpur and Puri . The Capital city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty (around the 2nd century BCE) who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital. Historically, Bhubaneswar has been known by different names such as Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Nagar Kalinga, Ekamra Kanan , Ekamra Kshetra and Mandira Malini Nagari (city of temples) or
1469-598: Is also bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the south-east. It is connected to the Seven Sister States of Northeast India by the narrow Siliguri Corridor in the north east of West Bengal. East India has the fourth-largest gross domestic product of all Indian regions. The region was ruled by several empires, including Gangaridai , Nandas , Mauryans , Guptas , Palas , Senas , Eastern Gangas , Gajapatis , Delhi Sultanate , Bengal Sultanate , Mughal Empire and
1582-508: Is also developing excellent road infrastructure to boom its economy. Ganga expressway and elevated corridors are under some of the ongoing projects in the city. A world class museum is also on its way to completion. The old museum of the city will be replaced by one of the biggest mall in east India. Patna Metro rail corporations is also going to start soon by 2021. It would be the second metro railway in Eastern India after Kolkata and
1695-734: Is also one of the fastest-growing states in India. West Bengal is the hub of industry and economic activities in Eastern India and it is also the home to the tallest skylines located in this region and are also one of the tallest buildings in the country. It is also the home of history of rising India. The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread over 1,886.67 km (728.45 sq mi) and comprises 3 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 39 local municipalities and 24 panchayat samitis , as of 2011 . The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006 . Suburban areas in
1808-633: Is an important pilgrimage centre for some Muslims nearby and from other places. In Bihar Village Harinagar Bajrang Bali temple is famous for Hindu people. Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a historical Kali temple in West Bengal . Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata is the most important of all Shakti Peethas in India. Belur Math in Kolkata is the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission founded by Swami Vivekananda . In Bihar, Gaya
1921-470: Is by far the most industrialised city in Eastern India and the second planned city in India . It started with the first prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru . His dream of transforming the backward agricultural country into an industrially advanced nation was picked up in West Bengal by then Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy . At the earlier stages for the selection of a proper site for
2034-622: Is known for temple for salvation of ancestors. Other places are Sultanganj in Bhagalpur and Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar , Jharkhand. Bodh Gaya is the city sacred to Buddhism . There are also other cities sacred to Jains in Bihar and Jharkhand. The region lies in the humid-subtropical zone, and experiences hot summers from March to June, the monsoon from July to October and mild winters from November to February. The interior states have
2147-712: Is lacking. Eastern India East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar , Jharkhand , Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain . Jharkhand is situated on the Chota Nagpur Plateau . Odisha lies on the Eastern Ghats and
2260-938: Is located at Infocity in Chandaka, Bhubaneswar with a view to provide incubation and infrastructure facilities to new and young entrepreneurs in the MSME sector, The intelligent building of the JSS STP is spread in a sprawling 3-acre (12,000 m ) campus and houses state-of-art technology to fulfil the growing demands of highly competent IT professionals. The Eastern India, particularly Odisha and Jharkhand, have rich mineral resources which resulted in economic boom in these two states. Several mineral based industries have been established in many cities of Odisha and Jharkhand namely Kalinganagar , Angul , Paradeep , Talcher , Rourkela , Damanjodi , Joda , Barbil , Choudwar , Jharsuguda Jamshedpur , Bokaro , Dhanbad and Ranchi . Bengali
2373-508: Is popular in all areas of eastern states. Among tribals of the region Hinduism is the dominant religion. Some tribals also follow their indigenous religions (Sarana). There are several places of pilgrimage for Hinduism . Puri in Odisha is one of the four holy City/Dham of Hindu religion and particularly known for Rath Yatra festival. Bhubaneswar is considered to be the "City of Temples". Konark houses an old sun temple . Bihar Sharif
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#17327901122512486-508: Is ranked 11th among Indian cities. and 42nd in the world in its list of 100 fastest-growing cities. As per the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, Asansol has been listed as a Y-category city for calculation of HRA (House Rent Allowance) for public servants. It is one of the three non-Z category cities in West Bengal apart from Kolkata, which belong to the X category making it a tier-II city. Durgapur
2599-618: Is the 18th Tiger Reserve of India , ranked fourth in terms of the density of its tiger population. It has a diverse landscape and biodiversity in addition to sheltering protected carnivores. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur region is a reserve for the endangered South Asian river dolphin . Other species in Bihar include leopard , bear , hyena , bison , chital and barking deer . Crocodilians including gharials and muggers as well as Gangetic turtles can be found in
2712-406: Is the area south of Park Street , which comprises thoroughfares such as Chowringhee Road , Camac Street , Wood Street, Loudon Street, Shakespeare Sarani , AJC Bose Road etc. The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city that has been called the "lungs of Kolkata" and accommodates sporting events and public meetings. The Victoria Memorial and Kolkata Race Course are located at
2825-521: Is the capital of the Bihar , its most populous city and the second most populous city in Eastern India. It is the administrative, industrial and educational centre of the state. Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Ancient Patna, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala. Pataliputra
2938-509: Is the dominant language of Odisha . Odia is the only major classical language in east India and sixth Indian language to be considered as a classical language in the basis of being old and not borrowed from other languages. Languages of East India (2011) According to Indian National Mission for Manuscripts, after Sanskrit, Odia has the second-highest number of manuscripts. As per records there are around 2.13 lakhs ancient manuscript in Odia. In
3051-486: Is the dominant language of West Bengal. Hindi , Bhojpuri , Maithili , Magahi and Urdu are the dominant languages of Bihar. Hindi , Santali , Khortha and Nagpuri are the dominant language of Jharkhand; however, some tribals speak their own tribal languages. Jharkhand has accorded second language status to Angika , Bengali , Bhojpuri , Ho , Kharia , Kurukh , Khortha , Kurmali , Magahi , Maithili , Mundari , Nagpuri , Odia , Santali and Urdu . Odia
3164-553: Is the official language of the state and is spoken natively by 25.54% of the total population. At 8.42%, Urdu is the second official language in 15 districts of the state. However, the majority of the people speak one of the Bihari languages , most of which were classified as dialects of Hindi during the census. The major ones are Bhojpuri (24.86%), Maithili (12.55%) and Magahi (10.87%) Angika and Bajjika , two other Bihari languages, are classified under other dialects of Hindi in
3277-484: Is the principal holder of the country's pyrite reserves and possesses 95% of all known resources. In May 2022, a gold mine was found in the district of Jamui . It accounts for more than 44% of the country's gold reserve, approximately 223 million tons. At the 2011 census , Bihar was the third most populous state of India with a total population of 104,099,452. It was also India's most densely populated state , with 1,106 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio
3390-476: Is very warm, but has only a very few tropical and humid months. Several months of the year it is warm to hot at temperatures continuously above 25 °C, sometimes up to 29 °C. Due to less rain the best time for travelling is from October to April. The most rainy days occur from May to September. Bihar has a nature conservation area of 6,845 km (2,643 sq mi), which is 7.27% of its geographical area. The sub-Himalayan foothill of Someshwar and
3503-543: The Austroasiatic language family and Dravidian language family . Major representatives of Autro-Asiatic language include the Mundari , Santali , and Ho . Dravidian languages include Kurukh , Kui and Pengo . About 80% of the population of East India is Hindu with significant Muslim and small Christian , Buddhist and tribal minorities. The Muslims constitute a very large minority in West Bengal with 27% of
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3616-924: The Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS), to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights. The movement intensified and spread from Bihar across the rest of India, culminating in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April ;1936, where Saraswati was elected as its first president. Following independence, Bihari migrant workers have faced violence and prejudice in many parts of India, such as Maharashtra , Punjab , and Assam . Decades following
3729-893: The British Empire . During the Neolithic period, agriculture started in South Asia. Neolithic settlements have been found in Chirand . In the Kabra-Kala mound at the confluence of the Son and North Koel rivers in Palamu district , various antiquities and art objects from the Neolithic to medieval periods have been found; the pot-sherds of redware , black and red ware , black ware, black slipped ware , and NBP ware are from
3842-955: The Chalcolithic to late medieval periods. There are ancient cave paintings in Isko, Hazaribagh district , from the Meso-chalcolithic period (9,000–5,000 BCE). From Kuchai, near Baripada , various Neolithic tools like hoes , chisels , pounders , mace heads , grinding stones and also pieces of pottery. Prehistoric paintings and inscriptions have also been found in Garjan Dongar in Sundergarh district , and Ushakothi in Sambalpur district and Vimkramkhol in Jharsuguda district . There has been an uncertainty about
3955-472: The Deccan Plateau . West Bengal's capital Kolkata is the largest city of this region. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area is the country's third largest metropolitan region. The region is bounded by Bhutan , Nepal and the state of Sikkim in the north, the states of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on the west, the state of Andhra Pradesh in the south and the country of Bangladesh in the east. It
4068-637: The Direct Action Day protests in Calcutta , leading to further communal violence across British India , the creation of Pakistan became inevitable. In 1947, further communal violence displaced millions as independence and partition of British India occurred. Some Bihari and Bengali Muslims fled to the newly created East Pakistan . Most East Bengal Hindus fled to India. The 1950s saw industrial progress in East India. These were cut short with
4181-702: The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east—a span of 9–10 km (5.6–6.2 mi). The north–south distance is greater, and its axis is used to section the city into North, Central and South Kolkata. North Kolkata is the oldest part of the city. Characterised by 19th-century architecture and narrow alleyways, it includes areas such as Jorasanko , Maniktala , Ultadanga , Shyambazar , Shobhabazar , Bagbazar , Cossipore , Sinthee etc. The north suburban areas like Dum Dum , Baranagar , Belgharia , Sodepur , Khardaha , New Barrackpore , Madhyamgram , Barrackpore , Barasat etc. are also within
4294-578: The List of Indian states by GDP . Odisha has shown consistent growth in the state GDP and received the recognition of the fastest-growing economy among the states in India . Nalanda , Puspagiri and Vikramshila universities were the famed institutions of higher learning in ancient India located in Eastern India. One of the first great universities in recorded history was the ancient Nalanda University located in Bihar and another institute of higher learning
4407-701: The Pala Empire , the Karnat dynasty came into power in the Mithila region in the 11th century and they were succeeded by the Oiniwar dynasty in the 14th century. Aside from Mithila, there were other small kingdoms in medieval Bihar. The area around Bodh Gaya and much of Magadha came under the Buddhist Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya . The Khayaravala dynasty were present in the southwestern portions of
4520-559: The Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company . The state government has, however, made significant strides in developing the state. Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure, better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption. The name Bihar is derived from
4633-773: The Sanskrit and Pali word vihāra ( Devanagari : विहार), meaning "abode" and usually referred to a Buddhist monastery. The region roughly encompassing the present state had many Buddhist vihāras, the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval periods. Chirand , on the northern bank of the Ganga River , in Saran district , has an archaeological record from the Neolithic age ( c. 2500–1345 BCE ) . Regions of Bihar – such as Magadha , Mithila , and Anga – are mentioned in religious texts and epics of ancient India . Mithila gained prominence after
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4746-532: The TCS centre is ready and has a capacity to accommodate nearly 1,200 professionals but the software major has only 250 employees at present. The Finland telecommunication company, Nethawk, has its India R&D center at Bhubaneswar. The Canadian giant, Gennum Corporation has its India development centre at Bhubaneswar. The auditors Price water house Coopers Pvt. Ltd. also has a center in Bhubaneswar. The private STP
4859-520: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Hindustani Awam Morcha , Rashtriya Lok Samta Party , Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Indian National Congress (INC). There are many other political formations. The Communist Party of India had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, which has since weakened. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and CPM and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) have
4972-560: The Vajjika League which had its capital in the city of Vaishali , which is also in Mithila. Vajji had a republican form of government where the head of state was elected from the rajas. Based on the information found in texts pertaining to Jainism and Buddhism, Vajji was established as a republic by the sixth century BCE, before the birth of Gautama Buddha in 563 BCE, making it the first known republic in India. The Haryanka dynasty , founded in 684 BCE, ruled Magadha from
5085-503: The 'land reforms', which could have helped Backward Castes and the Scheduled Castes ". The upper backwards relied on the political parties of Lok Dal and later Janata Dal for increasing their political representation. The year of 1989-90 saw the implementation of Mandal Commission 's recommendation by Vishwanath Pratap Singh 's government, which reserved 27% per cent seats in government jobs and educational institutions for
5198-423: The 1960s saw the rise of political instability in the state with dwindling power of Indian National Congress and rise of parties like Samyukta Socialist Party . The leaders belonging to Backward Castes became vocal for their political rights. The toppling of Mahamaya Prasad Sinha government by Jagdeo Prasad hastened the end of dominance of Forward Caste backed Indian National Congress in the state. Bihar covers
5311-593: The 2020 elections in Bihar. RLSP , BSP and PSP declared another alliance for upcoming Bihar election. However these two separate coalition of political parties merged and formed a brand new alliance named Grand Democratic Secular Front and declared Upendra Kushwaha as its Chief Ministerial candidate for Bihar. According to its leaders, the alliance was forged to converge the Dalit , OBC and Muslim votes. The bloc's ticket distribution plan gave due weightage to caste and communal representation in various constituencies. It
5424-468: The 2023 census, 81.99% of Bihar's population practised Hinduism , while 17.70% followed Islam . Christianity (0.05%), Buddhism (0.08%), and Sikhism (0.01%) are religious minorities in Bihar . Most of Bihar's population belongs to Indo-Aryan-speaking ethnic groups. It also attracted Punjabi Hindu refugees during the Partition of British India in 1947. Languages of Bihar from 2011 census Hindi
5537-557: The 6th century BCE, the mahajanapadas emerged in several parts of the Indian subcontinent. The region was the historical centre of the Nanda , Maurya , Shunga , Gupta and Pala empires that ruled much of the Indian sub-continent at their prime. In medieval India, it was incorporated into the Mughal , Maratha and then the British empire. After independence in 1947, the states joined
5650-932: The Dun ranges in the Champaran district have belts of moist deciduous forests, mixed with shrubs, grass and reeds. High rainfall (above 1,600 mm [63 in]) promotes forests of Sal ( Shorea robusta ) in these areas. Other important trees are Sal Cedrela Toona, Khair , and Semal. Deciduous forests also occur in the Saharsa and Purnia districts, with common trees including Shorea robusta ( sal ), Diospyros melanoxylon ( kendu ), Boswellia serrata ( salai ), Terminalia tomentose ( asan ), Terminalia bellerica ( bahera ), Terminalia arjuna ( arjun ), Pterocarpus marsupium ( paisar ), and Madhuca indica ( mahua ). Valmiki National Park covers about 800 km (309 sq mi) of forest and
5763-617: The English founded Calcutta . The Maratha Invasion of Bengal badly affected the economy of Bengal and it is estimated that 400,000 people were butchered by the Hindu Maratha bargis and many women and children gang raped, and the genocide has been considered to be among the deadliest massacres in Indian history. In 1756, the British East India Company defeated the local Indian Muslim rulers in Plassey and established British Rule in
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#17327901122515876-421: The Forward Castes, were divided into two rival political camps. While one of these camps was led by Yadavs under Janata Dal , the other camp was led by Koeri and Kurmis, who assembled under the Samata Party . According to Sanjay Kumar, this was the election in which the caste divide in the state was most evident not between the Forward and Backward Castes, but rather between two groups of Backward Castes itself. It
5989-414: The Governor is the head of the government of Bihar, and is appointed by the President of India . The Chief minister is the executive head of the government who, with its cabinet ministers, makes all important policy decisions. The political party or coalition of political parties having a majority in the Bihar Legislative Assembly forms the government. The Chief Secretary is the head of the bureaucracy of
6102-461: The Indian Union and took their current form after the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Today, they continue to face problems of overpopulation, environmental degradation and pervasive corruption despite significant economic and social progress. After the Kalinga War the Maurya king Ashoka sent emissaries to spread Buddhism across Asia. The university of Nalanda was in Bihar . Chinese travellers visited Buddhist and Hindu temples and libraries in
6215-408: The Kolkata metropolitan area incorporate parts of the following districts: North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas , Howrah , Hooghly and Nadia . Kolkata, which is under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has an area of 185 km (71 sq mi). The east–west dimension of the city is comparatively narrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly
6328-464: The Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was unpopular among the peasant cultivators and the numerous agricultural labourers found all over Bihar and Bengal (Khetmazdoors). The Indian Rebellion of 1857 started in Bengal . Eventually the British prevailed, and Calcutta remained capital of Britain's Asian dominions until 1911. During Gandhi 's independence movement, the Bihari village of Champaran was an important supporter of non-violent resistance. Great poets of
6441-406: The RLSP, the principal political party of the alliance performed badly and failed to win any seats. Following its poor performance in Bihar Assembly elections of 2020 , the coalition ripped apart with its elected Member of the Legislative Assembly meeting with leaders of other political parties. Zama Khan , the single legislator from Bahujan Samaj Party joined Janata Dal (United) and was made
6554-402: The Son, Budhi Gandak , Chandan, Orhani and Phalgu . Bihar has some small hills, such as the Rajgir hills in center, Kaimur Range in south-west and Shivalik Range in North. Bihar has a forest area of 6,764.14 km , which is 7.1 per cent of its geographical area. The sub-Himalayan foothills of Shivalik ranges , primary Someshwar and Dun mountain, in West Champaran district are clad in
6667-412: The area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning. From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire , as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions: Buddhism . Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Another region of Bihar, Mithila ,
6780-448: The backbone of the economy dominated by Government. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and private organisations like Jindal, Vedanta and TATAS. Despite this rapid growth, an ample number of the populace live in slums. Migration from rural areas, especially from the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh , has led to the growth of slums which are a major challenge to the city's growth. The Government has fostered growth in this sphere by
6893-471: The burdens of India's IT and financial boom. There are many Satellite town also situated in Kolkata, some of them are Salt Lake , Rajarhat-New Town , Kolkata West International City , Kalyani , Calcutta Riverside . It is also known as City Of Joy . However, the mid-sized cities of Asansol , Durgapur , Siliguri in West Bengal are rapidly growing urban areas. West Bengal is the highest contributor of GDP among all other eastern state for India and it
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#17327901122517006-496: The capital of British India until 1911, is the biggest metropolis and economically dominant city of the region and third largest in India and one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. It is also the main centre of commerce or the commercial capital of Eastern and North-Eastern India. Kolkata is very fast transforming itself to become city equipped with every facilities for IT and ITES and also financial outsourcing hub and its satellites Salt Lake and Rajarhat-New Town are taken
7119-403: The census. Maithili is a recognised regional language of India under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Proponents have called for Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika, and Bajjika to receive the same status. Smaller communities of Bengali and Surjapuri speakers are found in some parts of the state, especially in the eastern districts and urban areas. Under the Constitution of India ,
7232-407: The city of Patna on the ruins of ancient Pataliputra . Islam arrived during the 7th century CE and became dominant gradually since the early 13th century with the advent of Muslim rulers as well as Sunni missionaries such as Shah Jalal in the region. Later, Muslim rulers, starting from the Delhi Sultanate initiated the preaching of Islam by building mosques. From the 14th century onward, it
7345-455: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). Central Kolkata hosts the central business district. It contains B.B.D. Bagh , formerly known as Dalhousie Square and the Esplanade on its east; Strand Road is on its west. The West Bengal Secretariat , General Post Office , Reserve Bank of India , Calcutta High Court , Lalbazar Police Headquarters and several other government and private offices are located there. Another business hub
7458-411: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). Asansol is the district headquarters of Paschim Bardhaman District in West Bengal. It is the second largest city in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 39th largest urban agglomeration in India. According to a 2010 report prepared by the International Institute for Environment and Development, a UK-based policy research non-governmental think tank, Asansol
7571-411: The city of Rajgriha (modern Rajgir ). The two well-known kings from this dynasty were Bimbisara and his son Ajatashatru , who imprisoned his father to ascend the throne. Ajatashatru founded the city of Pataliputra which later became the capital of Magadha. He declared war and conquered the Vajjika League . The Haryanka dynasty was followed by the Shishunaga dynasty . Later, the Nanda dynasty ruled
7684-418: The conflict in neighbouring East Pakistan and by the Communist movement at home. In 1971, in the course of Bangladesh's independence struggle, millions of refugees poured into East India. Bihar and Odisha struggled with economic issues during the British rule and in the beginning of post independent India due to rising naxalism frequent natutal calamities such as flood and cyclone. But in recent years,
7797-442: The development of IT Parks such as Infocity 1 and the new Infocity 2. The Info City was conceived as a five star park, under the Export Promotion Industrial Parks (EPIP) Scheme to create high quality infrastructure facilities for setting up Information Technology related industries. Infosys and Satyam Computer Services Ltd. have been present in Bhubaneswar since 1996–97. Its current head count stands at around 5000. The first part of
7910-713: The diwani rights (rights to administer and collect tax revenue) for Bihar, Bengal , and Odisha . The rich resources of fertile land, water, and skilled labour had attracted the foreign imperialists, particularly the Dutch and British, in the 18th century. A number of agriculture-based industries had been started in Bihar by foreign entrepreneurs. Bihar remained a part of the Bengal Presidency of British India until 1912, when Bihar and Orissa were carved out as separate provinces. Farmers in Champaran had revolted against indigo cultivation in 1914 (at Pipra ) and 1916 (Turkaulia). In April 1917, Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran, where Raj Kumar Shukla had drawn his attention to
8023-533: The election RLSP contested on 42 seats. Relying upon its vote base which is Kushwaha caste, RLSP fielded 40% Kushwaha candidates in the elections . The Grand Democratic Secular Front of which RLSP was a constituent member relied primarily upon the votes of castes like Kushwahas, Ravidasis, and Muslims . RLSP in the first phase of elections contested a total of 42 seats amongst which it gave ticket to 17 candidates of Kushwaha caste while its ally AIMIM placed its candidates in Muslim dominated areas of Bihar. Similarly in
8136-778: The empire's GDP and 12% of the world's GDP , larger than the entirety of western Europe . With the arrival of the Europeans in the 17th century, outposts were established in Odisha Coast and Bengal. The European traders established their trade centres in the ports of Balasore , Pipili , Palur in the Odisha Coast during the rule of the last independent Hindu king Gajapati Prataprudra Dev. The Portuguese were in Chittagong, Dutch in Chinsura, French in Pondicherry and
8249-706: The establishment of the Videha Kingdom. During the late Vedic period ( c. 1100 –500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas . Sita , a daughter of one of the Janaks of Mithila is mentioned as the consort of Lord Rama , in the Hindu epic Ramayana , written by Valmiki . The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into
8362-513: The exploitation of the peasants by European indigo planters. The Champaran Satyagraha that followed received support from many Bihari nationalists, such as Rajendra Prasad , Shri Krishna Sinha and Anugrah Narayan Sinha . In the northern and central regions of Bihar, the Kisan Sabha (peasant movement) was an important consequence of the independence movement. It began in 1929 under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati who formed
8475-648: The highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at ₹ 63,063. Using fi gures for assumed average annual growth, Patna is the 21st fastest-growing city in the world and 5th fastest-growing city in India by the City Mayors' Foundation. Patna registered an average annual growth of 3.72% during 2006–2010. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams. IIT NIT NIFT AIIMS and other leading educational institutions are running successfully in Patna. City
8588-412: The independence in 1947 were full of violent conflicts between the landless section of Bihari society and the landed elite who controlled the government at various level. This was an outcome of the failed land reform drive and improper implementation of the land ceiling laws that were passed by Indian National Congress government in the 1950s. Landed castes like Rajput and Bhumihar became suspicious of
8701-580: The inscriptions at Ushakothi and Vimkramkhol regarding whether they are in a proto- Brahmi script . Yogimath near Khariar has cave paintings from the Neolithic. There is Chalcolithic sites in Pandu Rajar Dhibi in the lower Ajay valley in West Bengal. Iron slag , microliths , and potsherds from 1400 BCE, according to carbon dating, were discovered in Singhbhum district . During the late Vedic period, several janapadas emerged in India. In
8814-473: The invasion of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji , during which many of the viharas were destroyed along with the universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila . Some historians believe that thousands of Buddhist monks were massacred during the 12th century. D. N. Jha suggests, instead, that these incidents were the result of Buddhist–Brahmin skirmishes in a fight for supremacy. After the rule of
8927-636: The land reforms and used their influence in government to hinder the efforts of the land redistribution programme, which may have alleviated the huge caste based income inequalities. Unscrupulous tactics such as absentee landlordism neutralised the reforms which was architected by Krishna Ballabh Sahay . In the Zamindari areas of Bihar, such as Bhojpur district , the Dalits were also subjected to frequent humiliation and practice of begar existed. This led to first spark of mass scale naxalism to grew up in
9040-401: The landed section of society belonged primarily to Forward Castes and a section of Upper Backward Castes , on the other hand, the landless were the people belonging to Schedule Castes and a section of Other Backward Castes . Formation of caste based private armies called Senas' took place in response to violent activities of the naxalites. One of the most dreaded caste army of the landlord
9153-516: The list Bengali is in 9th position with 15412 ancient manuscripts. The Indo-Aryan languages spoken in this region descend from the Magadhi Prakrit , which was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Odia emerged as a distinct language from Odra Prakrit while Maithili emerged around the 9th century CE. Many of the minority Tribal languages of East India belong to the Munda branch of
9266-541: The list of its 37 candidates in the second phase also Koeri candidates were dominant accounting for 18 seats. The Grand Democratic Secular front however failed to perform as it claimed earlier in the Bihar Assembly Elections of 2020. Its only success was in obtaining six seats, five of which were won by AIMIM in the Muslim dominated Simanchal region of Bihar. The Bahujan Samaj Party also won one seat but
9379-538: The members of Other Backward Class . This event mobilised them against the "politics of religion" of the Bhartiya Janata Party , which was backed by the Forward Castes . Important figures such as Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar took a leading role in this mobilisation, and by 1990, the upper backwards– Koeri , Kurmi , Yadav became the new political elites of the state. Historically,
9492-516: The new state of Jharkhand . Only 11.27% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as per a 2020 report. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state. The official language is Hindi , which shares official status alongside that of Urdu . The main native languages are Maithili , Magahi and Bhojpuri . But there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels. In Ancient and Classical India ,
9605-469: The number is growing every year. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams. Retail and Real Estate have also emerged as big players. Recent times have seen large scale retail chains such as Reliance, Vishal MegaMart, Big Bazaar, Pantaloon, Pal Heights, Indulge, New Leaf, Habib's, had opened outlets in Bhubaneswar. Large corporations like DLF Universal and Reliance Industries have entered
9718-399: The plains of Bhojpur. This armed struggle was led initially by Master Jagdish Mahto , a school teacher turned naxalite. Soon, the struggle spread into other parts of Bihar, where the landlords and agricultural labourers locked horns against each other. Between 1950 and 2000, several massacres took place. In Bihar, unlike the other parts of India, the naxalism took the form of caste conflict as
9831-445: The population and 17% in Bihar. Hindus form 94% of total population of Odisha. Christians are the largest minority in Odisha with 3% of the state population Durga , Krishna , Jagannath and Shiva are particularly popular Hindu deities in this region. Durga and Kali are patron deities of Bengal and Mithila whereas Jagannath or Vishnu is patron god among Odia people . Rama and Hanuman are most revered in Bihar. Shiva
9944-496: The properties of corrupt officials and redeveloped them into school buildings. They also introduced the Bihar Special Court Act to curb crime. It also legislated a two-hour lunch break on Fridays, to enable Muslim employees to pray and thereby reduce absenteeism. The government has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state since March 2016, which has been linked to a drop in tourism and
10057-450: The real estate market in the city. DLF Limited is developing an Infopark spread over an area of 54 acres (220,000 m ) in the city. Expanding its business portfolio, the Kolkata -based Saraf Group, promoters of Forum Mart shopping malls is constructing another Shopping mall named Forum Lifestyle mall a 550,000 sq ft (51,000 m ) lifestyle mall in Bhubaneswar with 1,200 car parks. The rich minerals resources of Odisha have been
10170-658: The river systems. Karkatgarh Waterfall on Karmanasa River is a natural habitat of the crocodilians. In 2016, the government of Bihar has accepted the proposal of the forest authorities to turn the area into a Crocodile Conservation Reserve (CCR). Other notable wildlife sanctuaries include Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary , Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary . Many varieties of local and migratory bird species can be seen in natural wetland of Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary , Asia's largest oxbow lake and only Ramsar site in Bihar, and other notable wetlands of Baraila lake, Kusheshwar Nath Lake, Udaypur lake . Bihar
10283-606: The southern end of the Maidan. Among the other parks are Central Park in Bidhannagar and Millennium Park on Strand Road, along the Hooghly River. South Kolkata includes many posh neighbourhoods such as Bhawanipore , Alipore , Ballygunge , Kasba , Dhakuria , Santoshpur , Garia , Tollygunge , Behala etc. The south suburban areas like Maheshtala , Budge Budge , Rajpur Sonarpur , Baruipur etc. are also within
10396-624: The state of Odisha have shown impressive growth record and developed steadily. The economic boom since 2005 started to spread new malls, highways, airports and IT office complexes, but not evenly across the region. Jharkhand became a separate state on 15 November 2000 from Bihar. In the modern times, these states have seen rapid transformation and home to several mineral and metal based industries, coal based thermal powers units , oil refineries , ports , textile industries and well established public and private educational institutes . West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand rank 6th, 16th, 14th and 18th in
10509-467: The state until the 13th century. Many famous Buddhist and Hindu philosophers and scholars have originated or studied in Bihar during the period from the 5th to 13th century at institutions like Nalanda and Vikramashila including Kamalaśīla , Ratnākaraśānti , Śāntarakṣita , Abhayakaragupta , Udayana and Gaṅgeśa . After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the British East India Company obtained
10622-629: The state, under whom a hierarchy of officials is drawn from the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Police Service , Indian Forest Service , and different wings of the state civil services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court. Bihar has a high court in Patna, which has been functioning since 1916. All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Patna. The state
10735-814: The stature of Rabindranath Tagore championed the movement for self-rule. The Partition also had its roots in undivided Eastern India. The Muslim League was founded in Dhaka in 1906. In the 1937 provincial elections, it came to power in Bengal in alliance with the Krishak Praja Party . in 1944, it gained an absolute majority in the Bengal Assembly, and Hussein Suhrawardy became the Chief Minister . After widespread communal violence during
10848-806: The subcontinent. Its capital Calcutta grew into one of the world's greatest ports. Tea from Calcutta was off-loaded by American separatists in the American War of Independence in the 1770s. In the 19th century, Calcutta's traders and merchants traded with the rest of the British Empire, continental Europe, the United States and China. Indentured Indian labourers from Bihar, sailed to new homes in Fiji , Mauritius , Guyana , Surinam and South Africa. India's independence movement had strong roots in East India. The feudal land system, established through
10961-422: The sum of the populations of the districts. The politics of Bihar have been based on caste since the onset of Indian independence . The important castes with political presence and influence in Bihar includes: Yadav , Koeri , Kurmi , Rajput , Bhumihar , and Brahmin . Before 1990, politics was dominated by Forward Castes – Brahmin, Rajput, Bhumihar, and Kayastha . The numerous Other Backward Class group
11074-500: The temple city of India. The largest city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar today is a center of economic and religious importance in the region. With the economic liberalisation policy adopted by the Government of India in the '90s, Bhubaneswar received large investments in the fields of telecommunications , IT and higher education, particularly in science and engineering. The city is home to around 60 engineering colleges (as of 2009) and
11187-474: The third in North India after Delhi and Lucknow. IT parks are also developing in and around the city. Patna recorded a per capita of Rs 63,063. The per capita level for 2007 was higher than Bangalore or Hyderabad , which are both leading centres for global software development. The Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Gaya, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna
11300-471: The universities of Magadha Empire. The Emperor of Kalinga Mahameghavahana Aira Kharavela was one of the most powerful monarchs of ancient India. The Jain thirkhankar Mahaveer was born here and founded Jainism . Islamic invasions in the 13th century resulted in the collapse of Hindu kings and most Buddhists, especially in East Bengal , converted to Islam. East India including Bihar and West Bengal
11413-729: The vast stretch of the fertile Bihar Plain is divided by the Ganges River into two unequal parts – North Bihar and South Bihar. The Ganges flows west–east and, along with its tributaries, regularly floods parts of the Bihar plain. The main northern tributaries are the Gandak and Koshi , which originate in the Nepalese Himalayas, and the Bagmati , which originates in the Kathmandu Valley . Other tributaries are
11526-554: The worst feudal cruelties". In 2005, the World Bank believed that issues faced by the state were "enormous" because of "persistent poverty, complex social stratification, unsatisfactory infrastructure and weak governance". As of 2023, there are two main political formations: the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which comprises Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP); and
11639-564: Was Ranvir Sena , which was involved in massacres of Dalits in Laxmanpur Bathe. The Dalit struggle against these caste armies was led by Indian People's Front and its successor Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation , which was controlled at the upper echelon by the middle peasant castes such as the Koeris and Yadavs , with Dalits and Extremely Backward Castes forming its mass support base and activists. Meanwhile,
11752-418: Was 1090 females per 1000 males in the year 2020. Almost 58% of Bihar's population was below 25 years age, which is the highest in India. In 2021, Bihar has had an urbanisation rate of 20%. Bihar has an adult literacy rate of 68.15% (78.5% for males and 57.8% for females) in 2020. Population increased to 130,725,310 as per the Bihar caste survey conducted in 2023. Religion in Bihar (2023) According to
11865-545: Was a seat of learning and fine arts. The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of the Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 km long and 16 km to 18 km wide. It is the second largest city of Eastern India. In June 2009, the World Bank ranked Patna second in India (after Delhi ) for ease of starting a business. As of 2004–2005, Patna had
11978-479: Was an early centre of learning and the centre of the Videha kingdom. However, since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development. Many economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government , such as the freight equalisation policy , its apathy towards Bihar, lack of Bihari sub-nationalism, and
12091-609: Was born in Pataliputra (Patna), is often considered to be among the most accomplished rulers in world history. The Gupta Empire , which originated in Magadha in 240 CE, is referred to as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, commerce, religion, and Indian philosophy . Bihar and Bengal were invaded by Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century. Buddhism in Magadha declined due to
12204-550: Was decided that the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party will contest on 104 out of 243 seats of the Bihar Assembly while Bahujan Samaj Party was to contest on 80 seats. The other members like AIMIM and Samajwadi Janata Dal were given 24 and 25 seats respectively while the minor players like Suhaldev Bhartiya Samaj Party and Janwadi Party Socialist were to contest 5-5 seats each. In the first phase of
12317-482: Was only given a token representation in the government. This over representation of upper castes was due to their dominance in the Indian National Congress , which dominated the politics of the state for three decades after the independence of India. According to political scientist Sanjay Kumar: "Using their dominant role in state's government, in the period before 1990, the Forward Castes deliberately subverted
12430-573: Was part of the Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. Odisha remained the only powerful Hindu dynastic stronghold under the rule of Soma/Keshari Dynasty, Bhanja Dynasty, Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Suryavanshi Dynasty and Bhoi(Khordha) dynasty till the end of the 16th century. The mighty Nalanda University existed at Nalanda which was destroyed by Bakhtiar Khilji during the 12th century and also defeated Sena Dynasty . Sher Shah Suri , who became king of India after defeating Humayun , founded
12543-604: Was ruled by the Bengal Sultanate , founded by king Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah , beginning a period of the country's economic prosperity and military dominance over the regional empires, which was referred by the Europeans to as the richest country to trade with. Afterwards, the entire East India came under the Mughal Empire , becoming as the most advanced parts in the world. Bengal Subah generated almost half of
12656-802: Was the ancient Puspagiri University recently discovered in Odisha. Education in the eastern part of India has seen rapid transformation. Several new educational institutes have been established to cater the needs of students. East India is now the home to some of the great Indian universities and Institutions of National Importance. Some prominent institutions of higher learning located in the states of Eastern India are listed below. There were many ancient cities established in Eastern India. Prominent among them were Pataliputra , Bangarh , Tamralipta , Champapuri , Chandraketugarh , Dantapura , Gauda , Katak , Sisupalgarh , Tosali , Gaya , Jaugada , Pandua , Rajapura , Asurgarh and Vaishali . West Bengal 's capital Kolkata (formerly, known as Calcutta ),
12769-448: Was this election from which the Forward Castes felt completely marginalised in Bihar's electoral politics and from then onwards, no longer held any significant role in the state's politics. By 2004, The Economist magazine said that "Bihar [had] become a byword for the worst of India, of widespread and inescapable poverty, of corrupt politicians indistinguishable from mafia-dons they patronise, caste-ridden social order that has retained
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