India’s CPI increases to 6.09% in June on account of higher prices of food items

14 Jul 2020 Evaluate

The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in its latest data has showed that India’s retail inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased to 6.09% in June 2020, mainly on account of higher prices of food items. The CPI was 3.18% in June 2019. Besides, food inflation in June increased to 7.87%. The ministry said the inflation figures are based on data collected from limited markets in view of the restrictions imposed on account of coronavirus pandemic. However, it said the data collected did not meet the adequacy criteria for generating robust estimates of CPIs at the state-level.

According to the data, the annual inflation in cereals and related products was 6.49%, and 16.22% in 'meat and fish' segment. For 'pulses and products', it was 16.68%, while that of spices stood at 11.74%. The inflation in vegetables basket was 1.86%, while it was in negative zone for fruits. In the 'fuel and light' segment, it was 2.69%. The inflation was ruling at 6.20% in rural India and 5.91% in urban areas. In view of the preventive measures and announcement of the nationwide lockdown by the government to contain spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the price collection of CPI through personal visits of price collectors was suspended.

During the lockdown, prices were collected through telephonic call from the designated outlets in selected markets, which was supplemented by information collected during the personal purchase of field staff for the items being transacted from neighborhood outlets, keeping in view the travel advisories. As the various pandemic related restrictions were gradually lifted and non-essential activities started resuming operations, NSO collected prices from 1,030 urban markets and 998 villages, for commodities that were available and transacted in June, 2020. The price data are usually collected from selected 1,114 urban markets and 1,181 villages through personal visits by field staff of Field Operations Division of NSO in the ministry on a weekly roster.

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