What is the minimum age required for a person to be eligible for membership of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) in India?

Introduction / Context:
The Constitution of India lays down minimum age requirements for membership of different elected bodies such as the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and state legislatures. These age limits reflect the expectation of maturity and experience for different levels of legislative responsibility. This question asks you to recall the minimum age requirement for a person to be eligible to become a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of Parliament.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question specifically mentions membership of the Rajya Sabha, not the Lok Sabha or state assemblies.
The options provided are 20, 25, 30 and 35 years.
It is assumed that you are aware that different Houses have different minimum ages, and that the Rajya Sabha has a higher age requirement than the Lok Sabha.

Concept / Approach:
Article 84 of the Constitution of India deals with qualifications for membership of Parliament. Under this Article and related laws, a person must be at least 25 years of age to be a member of the Lok Sabha and at least 30 years of age to be a member of the Rajya Sabha. There is no requirement of being 35 years old for these Houses, although some other offices may require higher ages. Therefore, the correct conceptual answer is that a person must be at least 30 years old to be eligible for the Rajya Sabha.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the age qualification for the Lok Sabha: a person must be not less than 25 years of age. Step 2: For the Rajya Sabha, the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act specify that a person must be not less than 30 years of age. Step 3: Check the options: 20 is clearly too low and does not match any parliamentary minimum age requirement; 25 is the Lok Sabha age, not the Rajya Sabha age; 30 matches the known requirement; 35 is higher than required and not specified for Rajya Sabha membership. Step 4: Therefore, the minimum age to be a member of the Rajya Sabha is 30 years.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity references and quick revision charts often summarise age requirements: 25 years for Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, 30 years for Rajya Sabha and state legislative councils, and higher limits such as 35 years for posts like Vice President or President. These tables consistently show 30 years against the Rajya Sabha, confirming the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
20 years: This does not meet any constitutional age requirement for membership of Parliament and is below the minimum even for Lok Sabha. 25 years: This is the minimum age for Lok Sabha membership and for membership of a state legislative assembly, not for the Rajya Sabha. 35 years: This age is relevant for offices like the President and Vice President, but it is not required for Rajya Sabha membership.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up the age requirements of different offices and Houses, especially under exam stress. Another common error is to assume that because the Rajya Sabha is an upper House, the age requirement must be very high, such as 35 years, when in fact it is 30. To avoid confusion, remember the simple pairing: 25 for Lok Sabha, 30 for Rajya Sabha, and 35 for top constitutional offices like President and Vice President.

Final Answer:
The minimum age required for membership of the Rajya Sabha is 30 years.