Inflation declined to 7.24 per cent in November from 9.46 per cent in the same month a year ago although prices of food items like potato, wheat, cereals, rice, pulses, edible oil and sugar went up during the period.

Inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), stood at 7.45 per cent in the previous month.

Food inflation, as a category, rose to 8.5 per cent during the month, from 8.32 per cent a year ago.Vegetables prices declined by 1.19 per cent in November this year as compared to surge of 10.68 per cent in same month a year ago.

Cereals became dearer by 15.85 per cent from a rise of 2.15 per cent in the same month last year.Pulses and eggs, meat and fish became costlier by 19.10 per cent and 14.19 per cent in November.

For the fuel and power category, inflation moderated to 10.02 per cent during the month from 15.48 per cent in November 2011. However, diesel inflation increased by 14.60 per cent last month.

The rate of price rise in the manufactured products was 5.41 per cent in November, as against 8.17 per cent in the corresponding month of last year.