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Question 18 of 98 · Parliament
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The allocation of seats to the States and Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is laid down in the:

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Answer: Option C — Fourth Schedule

Detailed Solution

The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) to the States and the Union Territories.

Basis of allocation:

  • The seats are allotted to the states on the basis of their population.
  • So the number of seats varies from state to state; for example, Uttar Pradesh has 31 seats, while several smaller states have only one seat each.
  • This is different from the USA, where every state has equal representation (two seats each) in the Senate, regardless of its population.

Present position:

  • The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members: 238 representatives of the States and Union Territories, and 12 members nominated by the President.
  • At present, it has 245 seats: 233 elected representatives and 12 nominated members.
  • Only the Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have representatives in the Rajya Sabha.

States with the largest number of seats:

Uttar Pradesh (31), Maharashtra (19), Tamil Nadu (18), and West Bengal and Bihar (16 each).

Election of members:

The representatives of each state are elected by the elected members of the State Legislative Assembly, by proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Changes in the Fourth Schedule:

The Fourth Schedule is amended when new states are created or when states are reorganised; for example, when Andhra Pradesh was divided, its seats were shared with the new state of Telangana.

The Rajya Sabha as a permanent House:

  • The Rajya Sabha is not dissolved; one-third of its members retire every second year, and a member's term is six years.
  • The Vice-President of India is its ex-officio Chairman.

Importance:

The Rajya Sabha represents the states at the national level, and protects their interests in the federal system.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Third Schedule contains the forms of oaths; the Fifth Schedule deals with Scheduled Areas; the Tenth Schedule with anti-defection.

Quick tip

Remember: Fourth Schedule = allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to States and UTs (on the basis of population; Uttar Pradesh has the most, 31).

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Parliament — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Parliament, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the Parliament of India: the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, their composition, powers and officers, sessions, the law-making process, money bills, joint sittings, parliamentary committees, and devices such as question hour, zero hour and the various motions. Typical questions ask about the maximum strength of each house, the minimum age for members, who certifies a money bill (the Speaker), who presides over a joint sitting, and which committee is chaired by a member of the opposition (the Public Accounts Committee, by convention). Note the special powers of the Rajya Sabha under Articles 249 and 312. Practise the Parliament questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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