BPL, MPCE, Monthly Consumption Expenditure of household

 A Draft to be explored further in respect of new survey data released by Ministry

When we hear about few Government schemes being launched, most often a word we hear is BPL, Below Poverty Line? What is BPL?

As per Rangarajan committee report those spending Rs.32/- in rural and Rs.47/- in urban areas per day are not poor? Or Those who spend more than this amount are not poor? By common understanding We know how much this amount can bring to our home?, but there is a catch, whether this is per capita household expenditure or total of household? These limits translate to Rs.972 per capita per month expenditure in rural and Rs.1407 per capita per month in Urban areas and these are the poverty limits of expenditure.

Internationally basic poverty limit was $2 per day? In 2015 World Bank made it as $1.90 per day. How much it ($2) is equivalent in INR? Approximately Rs 160, as value of rupee fluctuates from Rs.80? off and on.

A to and fro trip to nearby Hospital by Auto rickshaw costs minimum of Rs 80 or 100. There are no standard of fares for auto drivers, especially when going Hospitals or airports. These times are opportunistic chances for few. Then I was supposed to buy medicines, as many were not given by Govt Hospital. It happened with me many times. I got problem in my left ear. The Doctor prescribed a medicine, that was not available in hospital. For few days I kept visiting to ask whether medicine is available or not? 5 days I visited then out of frustration I didn’t buy that medicine. As a govt servant I ought to be knowing my rights? But after purchasing a medicine the process of getting it reimbursed looked cumbersome to me.

Often many people feel offended on finding that per capita income is Rs.80 K (80,000/-) of India. What if, I tell them that monthly per capita expenditure of households is Rs.4642 in Urban and Rs.2712 in Rural households of A&N Islands compared to Rs.1430 in Rural & Rs.2630 in Urban India. Figures of Andamans are “highest” for urban and third highest in rural areas in the country as per NSSO survey of 2012.

In that survey it was observed that median percentile (P50) was Rs.3626, that means half of population/households in urban areas has Monthly PerCapita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) equal to or more to this amount and half population less than it.

About 20% population in Urban areas had MPCE more than Rs.5634 (P80) while 70% population of Urban population had Rs.2823(P30)

For Rural areas of A & N Islands the median MPCE was Rs.2169. It means half population spends more than this and half less than this amount, per month. Of total:95% population spend less than Rs.5593/- AND 30% population spends less than Rs.1768 per month.

In urban areas 31.8% persons were having MPCE between Rs.3070 to Rs.4280/-, and 17.3% persons had MPCE between Rs.2460 to Rs.3070 and 17.2% had more than Rs.6015.

In Rural areas 33.2% persons had monthly per capita expenditure more than Rs.2625, 28.7% persons spent between Rs.1585 to Rs.2055 per month and 21.8% had monthly expenditure between Rs.2055 to Rs.2625.

Where a household spends this money? Total monthly per-capita consumption expenditure (MMRP) of rural households was Rs.2712 and it consists of spendings of Rs.1266 on Food items and Rs.1446 on Non-Food items.  There is difference in spending pattern among Rural & Urban Households. Among rural households 46.7% was spent on food items and in Urban areas it was 36.1%.

Data, statistics day

Asked what is data? to a computer science person.  

Anything showing collection of zero and one indicating or showing any value that can be termed as data

Data is Smallest form of workable value to humans in computer or machine language? 

What is A? ASCII value of this A is something? It is shown as A to human but for computer it is certain number 0 or1? In ASCII it is 97 for small a and 65 for capital A. 

The binary representation of the decimal number 97 is 1100001. 

This set of numbers or digits 0 or 1 is only for machine language, to understand the value of figure, that human sees as A. 

What statistics is? Statistics is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. it further provides tool & methods for making sense of numerical information and drawing conclusion. 

But there are so many statistics too. Applied statistics, descriptive or inferential, but there are terms like administrative and official statistics too. So there are many terms related to type of statistics.     Everyone tells statistics and data are inseparable.  For few statistics is just to calculate average, mean, median, mode & or Percentage, Interest rates? etc.

weights & balance- Indus Valley Civilization
@National Museum New Delhi

I think numbers data or statistics might be in existence since humans waked on this earth? though not in any coded language, but it could in use via symbols or signaling? As development of civilization happened along with language, culture, philosophy so did the development of sciences, knowledge.

"Indus valley civilization" term became famous in history. Excavation at world famous archeological sites of Harrappa & Mohenjo-Daro unearthed many unbelievable pieces of history. what looked like beads, measurement units of various shapes, a Balance? 

it is much later that Rakhigarhi, Lothal, Dholavira and other sites came to be known. Now they are best example of traditional knowledge of ancient Bharat or India. I saw at National Museum, New Delhi.

Historian state that in 5th BCE Athenian estimated height of wall using some method. But now we also know that Aryabhat (for decimal number sysetm, value of pi & algebra) and other scholars such as Brahmgupt (arithmatic and zero), Bhaskaracharya (Bhaskara I or II).  Katyayan etc had already formulated value of circumference of earth. During first millennium BCE many sutra were written-namely Shulba Sutras that are part of Shrauta Sutras, four major sutras related to mathematics are attributed to Baudhayana, Manava, Apastamba, and Katyayana. 

list of Indian Mathematicians

Baudhayan said to have lived during 800 to 740 BCE. He is credited to have worked out what presently known as Pythagoras theorem. So there are many more great sages who had worked during vedic era and in later times. what it means that data, mathematics and statistics could have been in existence way back in vedic period too? 

Arthshastra is w well known world over, great work by Kautilya or Chanakya. He, the Vishnu Gupt was great luminary in lineage of our ancient Indian sages/rishi parampara. Where disciple learns under guru-shishya tradition. As we get information, there were university now known as Nalanda, vikramshila and Taxila or Takshila University. when such great universities existed there many millennium BCE  what could be curriculum taught there? even students from many countries of world came to study? 

Raja Todar mal name also became famous. He is associated with Revenue and land records. 

so data collection, statistics, official and administrative statistics had been in existence in India.