How many members of the Rajya Sabha can be nominated by the President of India under the Constitution?

Introduction / Context:

The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Its membership consists of representatives of the states and union territories, along with a certain number of members nominated by the President of India. These nominated members are chosen to represent fields such as literature, science, art, and social service. Knowing the exact number of such nominated members is a common question in Indian polity examinations. This question asks you to recall that number.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The institution involved is the Rajya Sabha.
• The focus is on members nominated by the President of India.
• Options include 6, 10, 12, 15, and 14.
• We assume the standard constitutional provisions as per Article 80.

Concept / Approach:

Article 80 of the Constitution specifies the composition of the Rajya Sabha. It states that the Council of States shall consist of not more than 250 members, of whom 12 members shall be nominated by the President. These 12 are chosen from among persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, and social service. The remaining members are elected by the elected members of state legislative assemblies and by the members of electoral colleges for union territories. Therefore, the correct number of nominated members is 12.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

A simple way to verify is to remember the typical description used in textbooks: Rajya Sabha has a maximum of 250 members, of which 238 are representatives of states and union territories and 12 are nominated by the President. The number 12 is repeated in almost every standard explanation of the Rajya Sabha's composition. If you recall this pattern, it becomes straightforward to identify 12 as the answer whenever the number of nominated members is asked.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

The numbers 6, 10, 14, and 15 do not appear in Article 80 in relation to nominations to the Rajya Sabha. They are included only as distractors. None of these figures correspond to the actual constitutional provision, which clearly specifies that the President may nominate 12 members to the Council of States. Hence, choosing any of these would contradict the established composition given in the Constitution.

Common Pitfalls:

A common mistake is to confuse the number of nominated members in the Rajya Sabha with some other figures in Indian polity, such as the earlier provision for nominated Anglo Indian members in the Lok Sabha or nominated members in state legislative councils. Another error is to guess a round number like 10 or 15 without recalling the exact constitutional text. To avoid this, it is helpful to remember the specific combination 238 elected plus 12 nominated equals a maximum of 250 members for the Rajya Sabha.

Final Answer:

The President of India can nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha under the Constitution.