This MCQ module is based on: Census vs Sampling, Errors, Secondary Sources & Exercises
Census vs Sampling, Errors, Secondary Sources & Exercises
This assessment will be based on: Census vs Sampling, Errors, Secondary Sources & Exercises
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Census, Sampling, Errors and NCERT Exercises
Should the researcher count everyone in the population — or just a small, well-chosen group? In this part we contrast the Census with the Sample Survey, learn random and non-random sampling, distinguish sampling from non-sampling errors, meet the major Indian agencies that publish secondary data (Census of India, NSSO, RBI), and finish with worked answers to every NCERT exercise.
2.7 Census vs Sample Surveys
Once a researcher has chosen the survey method and the questionnaire, the next big decision is: how many people should I cover? The two extreme answers give us the two methods of enquiry — Census and Sample Survey.
2.7.1 The Census or Method of Complete Enumeration
A Census? is a survey that includes every single element of the population. If the population is "all households in India", a census collects information from every household — rural and urban — through a house-to-house enquiry. India's Census is conducted every ten years, and the Registrar General of India publishes demographic data on births, deaths, literacy, employment, life expectancy, size and composition of the population.
2.7.2 Population and Sample
In statistics, the Population (or Universe) is the totality of items under study — every individual or unit that possesses the characteristic the researcher is interested in. The first task of any survey is to define the population precisely. If the whole population cannot be studied, the researcher selects a representative sample? — a smaller group that mirrors the population.
Sample: a subset of the population from which information is actually collected. A good sample is generally smaller than the population yet capable of providing reasonably accurate information about it at lower cost and shorter time.
2.7.3 NCERT Worked Example — Agricultural Labourers in Manipur
Population: All agricultural labourers in Churachandpur district.
Sample: Ten per cent of the agricultural labourers in Churachandpur district.
Most surveys in modern statistics are sample surveys, not censuses. A sample provides reliable, accurate information at lower cost and in shorter time. Because samples are small, more detailed enquiries can be conducted; because the team of enumerators is small, training and supervision are easier and more effective.
2.8 Sampling Techniques — Random and Non-Random
How exactly does the researcher pick the sample from the population? There are two broad families.
2.8.1 Random Sampling
In a random sample?, every individual unit in the population has an equal chance of being selected. NCERT illustrates this with the petrol-price example: the government wants to study the impact of a petrol price rise on 300 households of a locality. The names of all 300 households (the sampling frame) are written on slips, mixed in a bowl, and 30 slips are drawn one by one. This is the lottery method. Today, computer programmes and Random Number Tables do the same job in milliseconds.
2.8.2 Non-Random Sampling
Suppose you must select 10 households out of 100 in a locality. Instead of using the lottery method you pick the 10 most convenient — those near your house or known to your friends. In a non-random sample the units are chosen on the basis of judgement, purpose, convenience or quota; not every unit has an equal chance of being selected. The investigator's bias and convenience play an important role. Non-random samples are quicker and cheaper, but the results may not be safely generalised to the whole population.
You have to analyse the trend of food-grain production in India over the last fifty years. Because collecting data for all fifty years is hard, you must select a sample of ten years. Using a Random Number Table (or computer randomiser), describe how you would draw the sample years and why this is preferred over picking ten "round" years like 1971, 1981, 1991, ...
2.9 Sampling Errors and Non-Sampling Errors
Even a perfectly designed survey will not produce numbers exactly equal to the truth. Errors creep in. NCERT distinguishes two kinds — and surprisingly, the smaller one is the easier to control.
2.9.1 Sampling Error
Sampling error is the gap between the value calculated from the sample (the estimate) and the true value of the population parameter. Sampling errors arise because the sample, however carefully drawn, is only a part of the population. The good news: sampling error shrinks as the sample size grows. A larger sample is closer to the population on average.
2.9.2 NCERT Worked Example — Manipur Farmers' Income
Population mean = (500 + 550 + 600 + 650 + 700) ÷ 5 = 3000 ÷ 5 = 600.
Now suppose a sample of two individuals gives values 500 and 600.
Sample mean = (500 + 600) ÷ 2 = 1100 ÷ 2 = 550.
Sampling error = 600 (true value) − 550 (estimate) = 50.
2.9.3 Non-Sampling Errors
Non-sampling errors are mistakes that have nothing to do with the sample size — and they are more serious than sampling errors because increasing the sample does not get rid of them. Even a Census can contain non-sampling errors. NCERT lists three sources.
2.10 Census of India and NSSO — Major Sources of Secondary Data
India has a strong public statistical infrastructure. Several agencies — at the national and state level — collect, process and tabulate data and publish it for everyone to use. These agencies are the main sources of secondary data? for students, journalists, businesses and researchers.
| Agency | What it does | Typical data published |
|---|---|---|
| Census of India | Conducted every 10 years since 1881; first post-Independence Census in 1951; last in 2011 | Population size, density, sex ratio, literacy, migration, rural-urban distribution |
| National Sample Survey (NSS / NSSO?) | Continuous nation-wide socio-economic surveys in successive "rounds"; results released through reports and the journal Sarvekshana | Literacy, school enrolment, employment-unemployment, consumer expenditure, morbidity, healthcare, public distribution system, retail prices, industrial activity |
| Central Statistics Office (CSO) | Co-ordinates national statistics; computes national income aggregates | National Accounts, GDP, Index of Industrial Production, CPI |
| Registrar General of India (RGI) | Conducts Census; maintains Civil Registration System | Birth and death rates, life expectancy, demographic tables |
| Reserve Bank of India (RBI?) | Central bank; collects and publishes financial & monetary statistics | Money supply, interest rates, banking, balance of payments, inflation |
| DGCIS | Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics | Foreign trade statistics — exports, imports |
| Labour Bureau | Ministry of Labour & Employment | Wage rates, CPI for industrial / agricultural workers, employment data |
Some specific NSS rounds you should remember from NCERT: the NSS 60th round (Jan–June 2004) covered morbidity and healthcare; the NSS 68th round (2011–12) covered consumer expenditure. NSS data is widely used by the Government of India for planning purposes.
2.11 Conclusion
Economic facts expressed in numbers are called data. The point of collecting them is to understand, explain and analyse a problem and the causes behind it. Primary data are obtained by conducting a survey; surveys involve careful steps — defining the population, designing the questionnaire, running a pilot, picking a representative sample, choosing a mode and minimising both sampling and non-sampling errors. Where primary surveys are impractical, the researcher draws on the rich seam of secondary data published by the Census of India, NSSO, RBI and other agencies. The choice of source and mode always depends on the objective of the study.
- If you study the opinion of students about the new Class XI Economics textbook, what is the population and what is a reasonable sample?
- If a researcher wants to estimate the average yield of wheat in Punjab, what will be her population and sample?
- In which year is the next decennial Census likely in India and China?
(2) Population = all wheat farms in Punjab. Sample = a randomly selected set of farms across the major wheat-growing districts (Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, etc.) covering different farm sizes.
(3) India's last completed Census was 2011 and is decennial (next round was scheduled for 2021 and has been deferred). China's last decennial census was conducted in 2020 and is also held every 10 years.
📝 NCERT Exercises — Worked Solutions
(ii) How often do you use computers? (a) Daily (b) 3–6 days a week (c) 1–2 days a week (d) Rarely (e) Never.
(iii) Which newspaper do you read regularly? (a) The Times of India (b) The Hindu (c) Hindustan Times (d) An Indian-language daily (specify) (e) Any other / online news portal.
(iv) Rise in petrol price is justified. (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Neither agree nor disagree (d) Disagree (e) Strongly disagree.
(v) Monthly family income (₹): (a) Below 25,000 (b) 25,000–50,000 (c) 50,000–1,00,000 (d) 1,00,000–2,00,000 (e) Above 2,00,000.
(2) Do you watch the news in English? Yes / No.
(3) Did you visit a doctor in the last 12 months? Yes / No.
(4) Do you live in a household connected to piped drinking water? Yes / No.
(5) Have you opened a bank account in your own name? Yes / No.
(ii) True — telephone surveys are quick and economical when respondents have phones and are spread out.
(iii) False — data collected first-hand by an investigator is primary data, not secondary.
(iv) True — judgement / convenience sampling carries the investigator's bias.
(v) False — non-sampling errors persist even in a Census; only sampling error shrinks with larger samples.
(ii) Leading — the "only 5%" tilts the respondent against banning. Rewrite: "Should plastic bags be banned?"
(iii) Double negative ("Wouldn't you be opposed"). Rewrite: "Do you support / oppose an increase in petrol prices?"
(iv) Vague — "agree with" what aspect? Rewrite: "Do you support the use of chemical fertilisers in farming?"
(v) Acceptable, but should come after Q (vi) is reframed; better as part of a screening sequence.
(vi) Should specify crop and unit. Rewrite: "What is the average yield (in quintals per hectare) of wheat / rice on your land?"
(1) Age: (a) 6–8 (b) 9–11 (c) 12–14.
(2) Gender: M / F / Prefer not to say.
(3) Have you eaten Vegetable Atta Noodles? Yes / No. (If "No", end survey.)
(4) How often do you eat them? (a) Daily (b) 2–3 times a week (c) Once a week (d) Rarely.
(5) Who normally cooks them? (a) Self (b) Parent (c) Sibling (d) Other.
(6) What do you like most? (a) Taste (b) Quick to make (c) Healthier than maida noodles (d) Pack design (e) Any other.
(7) On a scale of 1–5, how do you rate the taste?
(8) Would you recommend them to a friend? Yes / No / Maybe. Pre-test the form on 10 children before rolling out.
Sample size: 50 farms (the ones surveyed).
The 25 farms (50% of 50) growing only wheat is a finding from the sample, not the sample itself.
Sample: (i) 200 Class XI students drawn from 20 Delhi schools; (ii) 100 wheat farms drawn from 4 Punjab districts.
Variable: (i) monthly pocket money of a student (X); (ii) yield per hectare of wheat (Y).
📋 Recap — Chapter 2 in One Page
Key Takeaways
- Data are facts collected for analysis; they may be primary (first-hand) or secondary (re-used).
- Primary data are gathered through surveys using personal interviews, mailed questionnaires or telephone interviews — each with its own pros and cons.
- A questionnaire must be short, clear, well-ordered (general → specific), and free of leading or double-negative wording.
- Closed-ended questions are easy to score; open-ended questions capture individuality.
- A pilot survey tests the questionnaire before the main survey.
- A Census covers every unit; a sample covers a representative subset and saves time and money.
- Random sampling gives every unit an equal chance of selection (lottery method, random number tables); non-random sampling uses judgement or convenience.
- Sampling error = true value − sample estimate; it shrinks as sample size grows.
- Non-sampling errors (bias, non-response, recording mistakes) are more serious because they are not cured by a larger sample.
- Census of India and NSSO are the two flagship national agencies for secondary data; RBI, CSO, RGI, DGCIS and the Labour Bureau also publish important series.
🔑 Key Terms
Choose: (A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. (B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. (C) A is true, R is false. (D) A is false, R is true.
Frequently Asked Questions — Census, Sampling, Errors and NCERT Exercises
What is the difference between census and sample survey in Class 11 Statistics?
The census method, also called complete enumeration, collects information from every unit of the population, while a sample survey collects information from only a representative part of the population. NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 Part 2 explains that the census gives complete coverage and is highly accurate but is expensive, slow and impractical for very large populations. A sample survey is fast and cost-effective and, when properly designed using random sampling, gives results that are statistically representative of the whole population. India conducts a population census every ten years and uses sample surveys (NSSO) for most economic indicators.
What is random sampling in NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2?
Random sampling is a method in which every unit in the population has an equal and known chance of being selected into the sample, with no investigator bias. NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 lists three main random methods: simple random sampling using a lottery or random number table, stratified random sampling where the population is divided into groups (strata) and units are picked from each, and systematic sampling where every k-th unit is chosen after a random start. Random sampling is preferred because it makes the sample representative and allows the calculation of sampling error mathematically.
What are sampling errors and non-sampling errors in Class 11 Statistics?
Sampling error is the difference between the sample value and the true population value that arises only because the entire population was not surveyed; it can be measured and reduced by increasing sample size or improving design. Non-sampling error arises from mistakes during data collection, recording or processing — such as wrong responses, faulty questionnaire design, enumerator bias or computational mistakes — and these errors occur in both census and sample surveys. NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 stresses that non-sampling errors are often larger than sampling errors and must be controlled through training, supervision and pilot testing.
What is the role of NSSO in collecting data in India?
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) is the largest organisation in India conducting nationwide household surveys on socio-economic topics such as employment, consumption expenditure, education and health. NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 Part 2 explains that NSSO uses scientific stratified random sampling to produce official estimates that are used by the government, RBI, planners and researchers to design policies on poverty, food security and welfare. NSSO data is published as official secondary data and is one of the most authoritative sources of statistical information about Indian households.
When should an investigator use sample survey instead of census in Class 11 Statistics?
An investigator should use a sample survey instead of a census when the population is very large, when the data needs to be collected quickly, when the budget is limited, or when the test is destructive (for example testing the strength of bulbs destroys them). NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 Part 2 also notes that a well-designed sample survey can sometimes be more accurate than a census because it allows tighter quality control over a smaller workforce. The census is preferred only when complete coverage is essential, as in the decennial Census of India.
What is stratified random sampling in NCERT Class 11 Chapter 2?
Stratified random sampling is a sampling method in which the population is first divided into homogeneous, non-overlapping subgroups called strata, and then a simple random sample is drawn from each stratum independently. NCERT Class 11 Statistics Chapter 2 Part 2 explains that the strata are formed on the basis of relevant characteristics like income, age, gender or geography. This method ensures that every important subgroup is represented in the final sample, reduces sampling error compared to simple random sampling, and is used widely in NSSO household surveys for accurate state-wise and rural/urban estimates.