National Sample Survey 2007-2008 (64th round) - Schedule 1.0 - Consumer Expenditure

Data file: NSS64_Sch1_bk_5_6

Blocks 5 and 6: Blocks on Consumer Expenditure: Information on consumer expenditure on various items/groups of items will be collected in these blocks.

Block 5 : Consumption of food, pan, tobacco and intoxicants during the last 30 days
Block 6 : Consumption of fuel for cooking, lighting and other purposes excluding conveyance during the last 30 days

BLOCK 5:

In this block information on consumption of each item of cereals, pulses, milk, sugar and salt by the household will be collected for a reference period of 30 days preceding the date of survey.

In general, the Use Approach (see page C-1) is followed for food, pan, tobacco and intoxicants. However, there are some special rules for meals which are obtained by the sample household in cooked form from outside, or cooked by the household and served to non-members.

When a person consumes meals cooked in a different household from his own, the preparing household is considered to be the consuming household. This is, obviously, a departure from the Use Approach. Thus, when a guest or a beggar is served food prepared in a household H, it is household H which is considered as the consuming household. Also, if a household H makes a payment to a person in the form of meals cooked in H's kitchen, it is considered to be the consumption of household H.

However, when a person consumes meals received as assistance from the Government or charitable organisation (e.g. meals received under the Midday Meal scheme), or as payment in kind from an organisation (except a household enterprise which serves the meals from the household kitchen), it is considered to be the consumption of the household to which the person receiving the meal belongs. (When recording such consumption, the value is to be imputed at the local price of the meals received and recorded against item 302: cooked meals received as assistance or payment.) This procedure is a departure from the practice followed earlier. It is not, however, a departure from the Use Approach followed for food generally.

The Use Approach is also to be followed for food in the case of a person (usually a student in a hostel) whose food bills are regularly paid by a person (usually, a parent) belonging to a different household. In past rounds, the Expenditure Approach was considered to be applicable in such cases.

When cooked meals are purchased from the market (hotels, restaurants, canteens or catering agency), the purchaser household is considered to be the consuming household, regardless of who eats the food (entry against item 303). This is a departure from the Use Approach. However, if the meals purchased are then used by the purchaser as means of payment (say, to the provider of a service), then they will be accounted in the household receiving the meals as payment (entry against item 302).

BLOCK 6:

This block will record information on consumption of fuel for cooking, lighting and other household purposes with the exception of conveyance during the 30 days prior to the date of survey. The columns are similar to those of Block 5.

The word "fuel" applied to a substance means that the substance is used for energy. Note that some items such as petrol and kerosene may be used for cleaning as well as for energy. In this block, only the part used for energy, excluding use in vehicles, will be recorded.

The amount of petrol, kerosene, etc. used in vehicles will be reported in the conveyance sub-group of Block 10. The amount used for cleaning purposes may be entered in item 473 of the "household consumables" sub-group of Block 10.