<P> The index was revised in July 1962 to the base year 1956 as per the recommendations of a working group constituted by the CSO for the purpose and it had covered 201 items, classified according to the Standard Industrial and Occupational Classification of All Economic Activities published by the CSO in 1962 . The index with 1960 as the base year was based on regular monthly series for 312 items and annual series for 436 items . Hence, though the published index was based on regular monthly series for 312 items, weights had been assigned for 436 items with a view to using the same set of weights for the regular monthly index as well as the annual index covering the additional items . However, the mineral index prepared by the IBM excluded gold, salt, petroleum and natural gas . </P> <P> The next revised series of index numbers with 1970 as the base year, had taken into account of the structural changes occurred in industrial activity of the country since 1960 and this index was released in March 1975 covering 352 items comprising mining (61), manufacturing (290) and electricity (1). The working group (set up in 1978) under the Chairmanship of the then Director General of CSO, decided to shift the base to 1980--81, to reflect the changes that had taken place in the industrial structure and to accommodate the items from small - scale sector . </P> <P> A notable feature of the revised 1980 index number series was the inclusion of 18 items from the SSI sector, for which the office of the Development Commissioner of Small - Scale Industries (DCSSI) could ensure regular supply of data . The production data for the small - scale sector were included only from the month of July 1984 onwards; prior to this the production data from the directorate general of technical development (DGTD) for large and medium industries alone had been utilised . For the period April 1981 to June 1984 in respect of these 18 items, average base year (1980--81) production as obtained from DGTD was utilized . From July 1984 onwards, combined average base year production both for DGTD and DCSSI products was utilised . The weights for these items were based on ASI 1980--1981 results and no separate weights for DGTD and DCSSI items were allocated in the 1980--81 series . </P> <P> The next revision of IIP with 1993--94 as the base year containing 543 items (with the addition of 3 items for mining sector and 188 for the manufacturing sector) has come into existence on 27 May 1998 and ever since, the quick estimates of IIP are being released as per the norms set out for the IMF's SDDS2, with a time lag of six weeks from the reference month . These quick estimates for a given month are revised twice in the subsequent months . To retain the distinctive character and enable the collection of data, the source agencies proposed clubbing of 478 items of the manufacturing sector into 285 item groups and thus making a total of 287 item groups together with one each of electricity and mining & quarrying . The revised series has followed the National Industrial Classification NIC - 1987 . Another important feature of the latest series is the inclusion of unorganised manufacturing sector (That is, the same 18 SSI products) along with organised sector for the first time in the weighting diagram . </P>

Highest weight in the index of industrial production (iip)