Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the passage?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) The present calculation of inflation rate does not correctly measure price rise of individual item/commodity.
The passage explains that a single inflation figure is a weighted average across goods and services whose prices rise at different rates, with weights that differ from class to class. Such an aggregate cannot show the actual price rise of any one item, which is the point of (b).
- ✗ (a) Extreme and unsupported: the passage explains how WPI and CPI are built; it never says CPI should be scrapped.
- ✓ (b) The single number is 'an aggregate' of items whose 'price rise differs', arrived at by weighting, and baskets differ for the poor, middle classes and rich. A single weighted figure therefore does not reflect the price rise of individual items.
- ✗ (c) The passage never says services are under-represented; it mentions commodities and services together.
- ✗ (d) Extreme: the passage explains how inflation is measured, not that the figure is useless.
Remember · When a passage explains how an average is built, its key message is usually what the average hides.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·