The Council of States shall consist of ______ members to be nominated by the President.
- A.six
- B.ten
- C.twelve
- D.five
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is twelve. Under Article 80, the Rajya Sabha consists of 12 members nominated by the President and not more than 238 representatives of the States and Union Territories, a maximum of 250. The nominated members are chosen for their special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service; Sachin Tendulkar, Lata Mangeshkar and the composer Ilaiyaraaja are among those nominated over the years.
The wrong numbers have no basis in the Constitution. Remember too the contrast with the Lok Sabha: the President could once nominate two Anglo-Indian members to it under Article 331, but that provision lapsed in January 2020 after the 104th Amendment did not extend it. So today the President nominates members only to the Rajya Sabha. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha can vote in the election of the Vice-President but not in the election of the President, a point examiners often combine with this one.
Read the full article: Parliament of India: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Bills and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allWhich Article of the Constitution mentions that “the Parliament consists of the President and two Houses known as the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha)”?
- A.79
- B.70
- C.82
- D.73
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Article 79 says: "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People." The President is therefore part of Parliament even though he or she sits in neither…
Read the full explanation →Who was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
- A.Rajendra Prasad
- B.Purushottam Tandon
- C.Hukum Singh
- D.G V Mavalankar
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Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was elected the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 1952 and served until his death in 1956.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following appoints the Speaker 'Pro tem' of the Lok Sabha?
- A.President
- B.Prime Minister
- C.Chief Justice of Supreme Court
- D.Chief Election Commissioner
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After a general election, the Speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha vacates office just before the new House first meets.
Read the full explanation →The time gap between two sessions of the Parliament should NOT exceed:
- A.3 months
- B.1 year
- C.6 months
- D.9 months
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Article 85(1) says the President shall summon each House to meet at such time and place as he or she thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.
Read the full explanation →The quorum to constitute a sitting of the Lok Sabha is _____ of the total number of members of the house.
- A.One-half
- B.Two-thirds
- C.One-sixth
- D.One-tenth
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Under Article 100(3), the quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of Parliament is one-tenth of the total number of members of the House, including the Speaker or the person acting as presiding officer.
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