UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A census involves complete enumeration of all units in the target population, leaving no element unobserved. Because every member is included, estimates derived from a census are, in principle, free from sampling error, although other types of error may still occur. Censuses are often costly and time consuming but useful when the population is small or very important decisions depend on accurate counts. Thus, a study that covers every member of the population is correctly called a census.

Option A:
A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single case or a small number of cases and does not imply inclusion of all units in a population. It is qualitative in orientation and not equivalent to full enumeration.

Option B:
A pilot study is a small-scale trial run conducted to test the feasibility of instruments and procedures before the main study. It typically uses only a limited number of units, not the entire population.

Option C:
A sample survey examines only a subset of the population and then generalises findings, so it explicitly contrasts with a census. Because it does not include all members, it cannot complete the stem.

Option D:
Census refers specifically to complete coverage, such as national population censuses. This matches the description of collecting data from every member, making this option correct.