In the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), what is the fixed tenure of an individual member in years under the Constitution of India?

Introduction / Context:
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Unlike the Lok Sabha, which can be dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body. However, individual members do not sit for life; they have a fixed tenure. This question checks whether you correctly remember the length of a Rajya Sabha member's term, an important constitutional fact frequently tested in examinations on Indian polity and governance.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question is about the tenure of an individual member of the Rajya Sabha, not about the life of the house itself.
The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house, but one third of its members retire at regular intervals.
The options are given in years: 8, 6, 4 and 2, so you need to pick one specific tenure as provided in the Constitution and the Representation of the People Acts.
No special or exceptional circumstances (like by-elections to fill casual vacancies) are being asked; it is about the normal full term of a member.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is that the Rajya Sabha is a continuing body, with staggered terms. Each member is elected (or nominated) for a fixed term, and every two years roughly one-third of the members retire. This arrangement ensures continuity while still allowing periodic change. To answer the question, you must recall the standard tenure for a Rajya Sabha member, which is six years, with retirement on a rotational basis every two years.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the basic structure of Parliament – the Lok Sabha has a normal tenure of five years, whereas the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body. Step 2: Remember that one-third of Rajya Sabha members retire every two years, which implies staggered terms instead of simultaneous expiry. Step 3: To allow one-third of the house to retire every two years, the complete term for each member must be six years (2 years x 3 cycles). Step 4: Compare this with the options: 8, 6, 4 and 2 years. Only six years matches the constitutional provision for a Rajya Sabha member's tenure. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is six years.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can cross-check this fact from standard polity summaries: Rajya Sabha members are elected for a term of six years, with one-third retiring every second year. This is a well established and widely repeated point in NCERT books, Laxmikanth's Indian Polity and other exam-preparation texts. The President's nominated members also follow the same six-year tenure rule unless they resign or are disqualified earlier. Hence, six years is undoubtedly the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
8 years: No Indian parliamentary house prescribes an eight-year tenure for its members. This number does not fit the rotational pattern of one-third retiring every two years. 4 years: Four years would not support the rotation pattern of one-third retiring every two years over a complete cycle while maintaining the permanent nature of the house. 2 years: Two years is the retirement interval, not the full term. Every two years some members retire, but each individual member serves for six years unless there is a casual vacancy.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse the two-year retirement interval with the total tenure and mistakenly think that members serve for two years. Others try to align the Rajya Sabha term with the Lok Sabha term of five years, which is incorrect. There is also confusion between the concept of a permanent house and life tenure for individuals. Remember that the house continues forever, but members do not; they rotate out after their six-year term.

Final Answer:
Each member of the Rajya Sabha normally holds office for a term of six years, with approximately one-third of the members retiring every second year.