Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to 6.44 percent in February. Earlier, Inflation in January stood at a three-month high level of 6.52 percent. As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data released today, inflation in the food basket last month moderated to 5.95 percent from 6 percent in January. Food prices contribute to nearly 40 percent of the CPI basket.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">In February, Rural inflation stood at 6.72 percent, whereas urban inflation came in at 6.10 percent. In December last year, the CPI came below the Reserve Bank of India's upper margin of 6 percent for the first time in the calendar year, standing at 5.72 percent. The Government had mandated the Central Bank to maintain retail inflation at four percent with a margin of two percent on either side.</span><br />