Method to calculate various Consumer Price Indices

(a) At present, there are four Consumer Price Indices for measuring changes in prices at the level of consumers. Three of these indices, Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Consumer Price Index for Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) are released by Labour Bureau, Shimla in the Ministry of Labour & Employment. These indices are specific to a class of consumers. CPI-IW is a weighted average of 78 industrial centers and its selection of commodities/services and weights assigned to these commodities/services are based on Working Class Family Income & Expenditure Surveys conducted during 1999-2000. Index is computed with the year 2001 as its base. CPI-AL and CPI-RL are weighted average of 20 States/Centers with a base of 1986-87=100. Weighting diagram and commodity/service basket is derived on the basis of Consumer Expenditure Surveys as in the 38th round of NSSO conducted during 1983. The Central Statistics Office in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation introduced a new comprehensive series of Consumer Price Index in January 2011. The CPI new series with 2010=100 as its base derives its weighting diagram from the Consumption Expenditure Survey conducted during 61st round of NSSO in 2004-05. This index is separately computed for States and Union Territories and also at Rural, Urban and at an all India level.

(b) to (d) The comparative weighting diagram of the commodity groups of CPIs is at Annexure I. Education, Medical care and Transportation are included in all the four Consumer Price Indices.