Universities and colleges of West Bengal the universities are conducted with the aid of specialized institutes. Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal has played a pioneering role in the development of the modern education system in India. Western models of education came to India through Kolkata. Many of the first schools and colleges were established by the missionaries and reformists. Sir William Jones (philologist) established the Asiatic Society in 1784 for promoting oriental studies. People like Ram Mohan Roy, David Hare, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, asutosh mukherjee and William Carey played a leading role in the setting up of modern schools and colleges in the city. The
Economy of West Bengal 33% of the potato yield in 2004, despite accounting for only 7.55% of the population of India. The state's total financial debt stood at . Agriculture accounts for the largest share of the labour force. It contributed around 18.7% to the gross state domestic product (GSDP) in 2009–10. A plurality of the state's population are peasant farmers. Rice and potato are considered to be the principal food crops of West Bengal. West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India with an annual output of around 16.1 million tonnes in FY 2015-16, and the second-largest producer of potatoes in