Question 69 from UPSC CSE 2015 - Current Affairs

Question

Which of the following brings out the 'Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers'?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. The Labour Bureau

Strategy: Identify the 'Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers' as a labour statistic. Rule out financial and monetary institutions like the RBI and economic departments. The correct publisher is the Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Key Info: **Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW)**

The CPI-IW is a specialized index that measures changes in the consumption patterns and price levels specifically affecting industrial workers.

**Publisher and Purpose**
The index is compiled and published monthly by the Labour Bureau, an office under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. Its primary purpose is to calculate dearness allowance and wage adjustments in the organized sector, and it serves as a key indicator for policy formulation.

**Institutional Responsibilities**
Different government bodies handle specific economic statistics:
*   **Labour Bureau:** Publishes the CPI-IW and is responsible for various labour statistics, including employment, wages, and consumer prices. It is headquartered in Shimla and Chandigarh.
*   **Central Statistics Office (CSO):** Handles other CPI variants, such as CPI (Rural), CPI (Urban), and CPI (Combined).
*   **Reserve Bank of India (RBI):** Reports on monetary indicators and policy rates, not price indices for industrial workers.
*   **Department of Economic Affairs:** Focuses on broad economic policy, not statistical compilation.
*   **Department of Personnel and Training:** Concerned with civil services administration.

**Key Details**
The CPI-IW is periodically revised to reflect changing consumption patterns, with the current base year being 2016=100.

Answer

Option A: The Reserve Bank of India

Answer

Option B: The Department of Economic Affairs

Answer

Option D: The Department of Personnel and Training