SSC
The minimum number of members that a state Legislative Council must have under the Constitution is:
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Answer: Option C — 40
Detailed Solution
Article 171(1) provides that the total number of members in the Legislative Council of a state shall not be less than 40, while also not exceeding one-third of the membership of the Legislative Assembly. The source mentions Article 169, but the limit is actually in Article 171.
Two limits on the size of a Council:
- Upper limit: one-third of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly.
- Lower limit: 40 members.
- This ensures that a Council has enough members to function, while remaining smaller than the Assembly.
Why a minimum is needed:
- Very small Councils would not be able to represent the different groups, such as graduates, teachers and local bodies, for which seats are reserved.
- A minimum size also allows the Council to function properly as a revising chamber.
Councils in practice:
- The size of each Council is fixed by Parliament by law.
- The Uttar Pradesh Council, with 100 members, is the largest.
- Smaller Councils have strengths in the range of 50 to 75 members.
Composition:
- Members are elected by local bodies, by members of the Assembly, by graduates and by teachers, and some are nominated.
- Elections are held by means of the single transferable vote.
Qualifications for membership:
- A member must be a citizen of India.
- He must be at least 30 years of age.
- He must possess other qualifications prescribed by Parliament.
Presiding officers:
The Council elects a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman from among its members.
Comparison with the Assembly:
The members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected, while the Council is partly elected and partly nominated.
Why not the other options?
- ✗30, 50 and 60 are not the minimum strength fixed for a Legislative Council.
Quick tip
Remember: Legislative Council strength = minimum 40, maximum one-third of the Assembly (Article 171).
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State Executive & Legislature — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of State Executive & Legislature, 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 government at the state level: the Governor, the Chief Minister and the State Council of Ministers, the Advocate General, the State Legislature, including the legislative councils in states that have them, and the special provisions for certain states. Questions usually cover the appointment and powers of the Governor, the Governor's discretionary powers, which states have a bicameral legislature, and how a legislative council is created or abolished (Article 169). Remember that the Governor is appointed by the President and holds office during the President's pleasure. Practise the state executive and legislature 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.