Context: 

The Maharashtra government has published the State level findings from the National Statistical Office’s 2017-­18 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES). 

• The report based on Central sample data is not published by NSO.

About Household Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES):

• It is a Survey intended to collect information on the consumer spending patterns of households across the country, both urban and rural.
• Frequency of survey: quinquennial (every five years)
• Conducted by: National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
• Utility of the Survey: 
  • The data is used for studies on levels of living in India and for the measurement of absolute poverty, including studies on disparities across States and regions, sectors, socio-economic classes etc.
  • It helps to arrive at the estimates of household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) as well as the distribution of households and persons over the MPCE classes.
  • It will be used for rebasing the Gross Domestic Product and other macroeconomic indicators such as retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• The last survey was conducted in 2017-18,  however the government withheld the results citing quality issues.
• The ongoing 2022-23 survey is expected to conclude by the end of July this year.

News Source: The Hindu