As per the Constitution of India, what is the maximum possible strength, that is, the total number of members that the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) can have?

Introduction / Context:
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the permanent upper chamber of the Indian Parliament. Unlike the Lok Sabha, it is not subject to dissolution, and one third of its members retire every two years. The Constitution fixes a ceiling on the total number of members the Rajya Sabha can have, including elected representatives from States and Union Territories and nominated members. This question asks you to recall that maximum strength.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question uses the phrase maximum possible strength, referring to the constitutional upper limit.- Options given are 150, 200, 250 and 300 members.- We assume general familiarity with Articles 80 and related provisions.

Concept / Approach:
Article 80 of the Constitution of India provides that the Council of States shall consist of not more than 250 members. Out of these, a maximum of 238 members represent States and Union Territories and up to 12 members are nominated by the President from persons having special knowledge or practical experience in fields like literature, science, art and social service. The current actual strength may be slightly different at any given time, but the constitutional upper limit remains 250.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall Article 80, which specifies that the Rajya Sabha shall not have more than 250 members in total.Step 2: Understand that of these 250, most are elected by the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies and by members of the electoral college for Union Territory representatives, through the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.Step 3: Note that up to 12 members can be nominated by the President for their contributions to art, literature, science and social service.Step 4: Compare this constitutional maximum of 250 with the options: 150 and 200 are clearly below the known figure, while 300 exceeds the constitutional limit.Step 5: Therefore, 250 members is the correct answer for the maximum strength.

Verification / Alternative check:
A memory trick is to remember the pair: maximum Lok Sabha strength is 552 (with not more than 530 from States, 20 from Union Territories and previously up to 2 nominated Anglo Indian members) and maximum Rajya Sabha strength is 250. Together, these two numbers often appear in examination questions and in standard polity tables.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (150 members) is wrong because it does not match the constitutional upper limit and would make the House much smaller than it actually is.Option B (200 members) is wrong because it also underestimates the maximum size prescribed in Article 80.Option D (300 members) is wrong because it exceeds the constitutional cap and has never been used as a limit or actual strength.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse current strength with maximum constitutional strength or mix up figures for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Another common error is to think that both Houses must have similar membership capacities. To avoid confusion, revise a small table of key numbers such as 250 for Rajya Sabha, 552 for Lok Sabha and the basic breakdown of elected and nominated members in each House.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 250 members