RAS question
What was the rate of India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation in April 2026, which touched a 42-month high mainly driven by a sharp spike in fuel and power prices?
Correct answer: (C) 8.3 percent.
India's Wholesale Price Index inflation stood at 8.3 percent in April 2026, a 42-month high driven mainly by a sharp rise in fuel-and-power-linked prices.
Explanation
India's WPI-based inflation rose to 8.3 percent in April 2026 on an annual basis, up from 3.88 percent in March; the April 2026 WPI rate was therefore 8.3 percent. Akashvani News identifies this as a 42-month high and links the jump to input-cost pressures, with higher prices of mineral oils, crude petroleum and natural gas, basic metals, manufactured products and non-food articles. Fuel and power mattered because annual inflation in the fuel and power segment rose sharply to 24.71 percent in April from 1.05 percent in March. The contrast with retail CPI at 3.48 percent helps separate wholesale inflation from consumer inflation.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 3.48 percent was the retail CPI inflation rate, not the April 2026 WPI inflation rate.
- (B) 6.5 percent was not the annual WPI inflation rate reported for April 2026; Akashvani News gives it as 8.3 percent.
- (D) 10.2 percent overstates the reported April 2026 WPI inflation rate; Akashvani News reports 8.3 percent.
Concept
Current-affairs preparation for RAS connects inflation indicators with their drivers, especially the difference between WPI and CPI. Such data points connect economic indicators with price trends in fuel, inputs and manufactured goods.