National Sample Survey 1999-2000 (55th round) - Schedule 1.0 - Household Consumer Expenditure

Data file: NSS55_Sch1

Block 8.1: Expenditure on education and medical (institutional) goods and services: Under this block, information will be collected on educational and institutional medical expenses incurred during the last 365 days preceding the date of survey. Non-institutional medical expenses will be recorded separately in block 8.2. The institutional category will include payments made for goods & services availed of as an inpatient in both private as well as Government medical institutions like nursing homes, hospitals etc. All other medical expenses will be treated under non-institutional category. The actual expenditure incurred during the reference period on the items listed in the block will be recorded.
Block 8.2: Expenditure on miscellaneous goods and services including medical (non-institutional), rents and taxes: In this block, relating to miscellaneous goods and services, information will be collected on the expenditure for purchase of these items during the reference period. The actual expenditure incurred towards purchase of these items, used for non-productive purposes, will be considered as the consumer expenditure of the household. Expenditure both in cash and kind will be taken into account. The reference period will be the last 30 days prior to the date of survey.
- Credit purchase: In case of credit purchase of any item of the block, the actual expenditure made during the reference period will be recorded. If any payment is made during the reference period for any credit purchase made earlier, then that amount will also be included. If the household makes a lumpsum payment against the credit purchase of several items, apportionment will be made for each of the items in proportion to their value.
- Payment in kind: If payment in kind is made against consumer services like payment to priests, domestic servants, barbers, washermen etc. in terms of items of food, pan, tobacco, intoxicants, fuel, clothing and footwear, the value of the item will be recorded against the particular service consumed and not against the respective items of block 5, 6 or 7. But if such payment in kind is made in terms of miscellaneous goods or durable goods, it will not be recorded against consumer service, but instead, will have to be recorded against the respective items of blocks 8.1, 8.2 and 9. However, if an old (used) durable good (say, an almirah), is given to a person (say, a priest) for the services rendered by him, the present (imputed) value of the good may be recorded against the appropriate service item of block 8.2 (e.g. priest).
If a household member receives any item of this block as a part of wages and salaries or perquisites from the employer (enterprise) then that is to be accounted for as expenditure incurred against the corresponding item even if a part of the said receipt is given away to others. However, an item of miscellaneous goods received by a domestic servant (household member) from his or her employer household will not be included in the recipient household. Such expenditure will be considered in the employer household.