Primary Education in Hill Bengal - Prohlad Roy - Bog

Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Mirik are hill stations in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101 ft). The precise etymology of the name Kalimpong means Land of Kings. The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong subdivision, a part of the district of Darjeeling. Kalimpong is known for its educational institutions, many of which were established during the British colonial period. It was a gateway in the trade between Tibet and India before China's annexation of Tibet and the Sino-Indian War. Kalimpong and neighbouring Darjeeling were major centres calling for a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s and, more recently, in 2010. At the 2011 India census, Kalimpong had a population of 42,988, of which 52% were male and 48% female. At the 2001 census, Kalimpong had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 84%, and female literacy was 73%. In Kalimpong, 8% of the population was under six years of age. The Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes population for Kalimpong were 5,100 and 5,121 respectively.