Under the Constitution of India, what is the minimum age required for a person to be eligible to become a member of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States)?

Introduction / Context:
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the upper house of the Parliament of India. It represents the States and Union Territories and is often considered a more mature and deliberative chamber. The Constitution sets specific eligibility conditions, including minimum age requirements, for membership of different representative bodies. This question checks whether you know the minimum age prescribed to become a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The office in question is membership of the Rajya Sabha.- The options give four possible minimum ages: 18, 30, 36 and 24 years.- We must select the age that the Constitution actually prescribes.

Concept / Approach:
Article 84 of the Constitution of India sets out the qualifications for membership of Parliament. It specifies that a person must be at least 25 years old to be a member of the Lok Sabha and at least 30 years old to be a member of the Council of States, that is, the Rajya Sabha. The lower ages of 18 and 21 are associated with voting and certain other rights but not with membership of the upper house. Therefore, the correct answer is 30 years.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that to be a member of the Lok Sabha, a candidate must be at least 25 years old. This itself rules out 18 and 24 for the upper house, which usually has a higher minimum age.Step 2: Article 84 clearly differentiates between the two Houses: 25 years for the House of the People and 30 years for the Council of States.Step 3: The figure 36 years does not appear in the Constitution as a minimum age for any representative office; it is a distractor.Step 4: The figure 18 years is associated with the minimum voting age for citizens to be registered as voters, not with the age for becoming a member of Parliament.Step 5: Therefore, among the given options, 30 years is the correct minimum age to become a Rajya Sabha member.

Verification / Alternative check:
A simple memory pattern is: 18 years to vote, 25 years to contest for Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly, and 30 years to contest for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council. If you keep this hierarchy of ages in mind, you can quickly answer questions about eligibility without confusion.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (18 years) is wrong because it is the minimum age for voting, not for becoming a Rajya Sabha member.Option C (36 years) is wrong as the Constitution does not prescribe this as a qualifying age for membership of any House of Parliament.Option D (24 years) is wrong because it is below the minimum age even for Lok Sabha membership, which is 25 years.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes mix up age limits for voting, contesting elections and holding various offices. Another common mistake is to assume that both Houses of Parliament have the same minimum age requirement. Learning the standard age ladder and revising Articles 84 and 173 (for State legislatures) helps to avoid such errors in the exam hall.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 30 years