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General Knowledge
easyQ. No. 1750

What is the capital of West Bengal?

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This question tests a high-frequency Static GK fact: the capital of West Bengal is Kolkata, the state's administrative and legislative headquarters. West Bengal lies in East India, and the state was formed in 1947 at Partition and took its present shape after later administrative mergers. Kolkata houses the state secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the offices of the Governor and Chief Minister. Such capital-based Static GK questions are asked regularly in SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC, and Railway exams, making this a high-yield topic that candidates should revise carefully for competitive exam preparation.

AKolkata
BImphal
CRanchi
DChennai
Correct Answer: KolkataYour Answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Kolkata serves as the administrative and legislative headquarters of West Bengal, housing the state secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the offices of the Governor and Chief Minister. Notably, Kolkata served as the capital of British India until 1911, when the capital was shifted to Delhi, and it remains India's cultural capital, closely associated with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. The other options given in this West Bengal question are capitals of different Indian states, and candidates often confuse them because Static GK questions on state capitals are frequently tested together in a single set. Imphal is the capital of Manipur, not West Bengal. Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand, not West Bengal. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, not West Bengal. None of these cities administers West Bengal; only Kolkata holds that constitutional status. Competitive exams such as SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC, and Railway exams often feature a West Bengal question like this one on Kolkata, which shows why questions on Indian state capitals are considered high-scoring, since they test direct factual recall rather than complex reasoning. Remember Kolkata as the capital of West Bengal, and clearly distinguish it from the distractor capitals used here — Imphal, Ranchi, Chennai — to avoid marking the wrong answer under exam-time pressure.

Important Notes

  • West Bengal lies in East India, and the state was formed in 1947 at Partition and took its present shape after later administrative mergers — a key one-line Static GK fact.
  • Kolkata: Kolkata served as the capital of British India until 1911, when the capital was shifted to Delhi, a detail worth remembering for West Bengal-related Static GK questions.
  • Kolkata fact: it remains India's cultural capital, closely associated with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray, which makes it a memorable detail for West Bengal General Knowledge questions in competitive exams.
  • Exam tip: in SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC, and Railway exams, remember Kolkata as West Bengal's capital, not a distractor such as Imphal (Manipur), Ranchi (Jharkhand), and Chennai (Tamil Nadu), since Static GK sets often test exactly this distinction.
  • West Bengal-Kolkata memory hook: think of 'Kolkata, former capital of British India' to recall this pair instantly, even when other state capitals appear alongside it as distractors.

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Indian States and Union Territories FAQs

Common questions and clear answers for this topic.

What is the capital of West Bengal?

The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata.

Why is Kolkata the capital of West Bengal and not Imphal?

Kolkata was designated as West Bengal's capital and houses its state secretariat, Legislative Assembly, and the offices of the Governor and Chief Minister. Imphal is a different state's capital, not West Bengal's.

Which exams commonly ask about the capital of West Bengal?

Questions like this are frequently asked in SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC, and Railway exams under the Static GK / General Awareness section.

What is one memorable fact about Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal?

it remains India's cultural capital, closely associated with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray, which makes Kolkata easy to remember for West Bengal-related Static GK questions.

How many states and Union Territories does India have?

India currently has 28 States and 8 Union Territories (UTs). Ladakh became a UT in October 2019 when Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two UTs: J&K (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). Telangana became the 29th state in 2014 when it was carved out of Andhra Pradesh but then J&K was bifurcated in 2019.

What are the Union Territories of India and their capitals?

8 Union Territories of India: Delhi (New Delhi), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Port Blair), Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Daman), Lakshadweep (Kavaratti), Puducherry (Puducherry), Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar/Jammu), and Ladakh (Leh). Delhi, J&K, and Puducherry have their own legislatures.

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