Under the Constitution of India, the elected members of the Rajya Sabha hold office for a term of how many years?

Introduction / Context:

The Parliament of India consists of two Houses, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Understanding the composition and term of members of each House is a fundamental part of Indian Polity. The Rajya Sabha is known as the Council of States and is a permanent body, but its members do not hold their seats for life. This question checks whether you know the fixed term of office for members of the Rajya Sabha as defined in the Constitution.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question concerns the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of Parliament.
• It asks for the term of office of its members in years.
• The options provide four possible durations: 15, 12, 9, and 6 years.
• We assume the standard constitutional provisions regarding membership and retirement apply.

Concept / Approach:

The Rajya Sabha is a continuing chamber that is not subject to dissolution, unlike the Lok Sabha. However, its individual members have a fixed tenure. Article 83 of the Constitution provides that one third of the members of the Rajya Sabha retire every second year, and the term of each member is six years. This staggered retirement pattern maintains continuity in the House while still allowing regular partial renewal of membership. The key figure to remember is that each member serves for a term of six years.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

To verify, you can contrast the Rajya Sabha with the Lok Sabha. The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless dissolved earlier. In contrast, the Rajya Sabha is never dissolved as a whole, but members retire by rotation. Standard textbooks and official sources repeatedly mention that each Rajya Sabha member has a six year tenure, making this figure easy to check and remember. Therefore, six years is confirmed as correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A, 15 years, does not fit the rotational retirement pattern and is not mentioned in the Constitution. Option B, 12 years, is incorrect and would imply a slower turnover than the one third every two years rule. Option C, 9 years, also does not align with the constitutional design. Only a six year term allows one third of the members to retire every second year while keeping the House as a continuing body.

Common Pitfalls:

A common error is to confuse the term of office of the Rajya Sabha with that of the President or the Lok Sabha. Some students mistakenly think that because the House is permanent, members have longer terms such as nine or twelve years. Another pitfall is to focus only on the rotational retirement rule and forget the actual number of years a member serves. Always pair the idea of one third retiring every two years with the fact that each member has a six year tenure.

Final Answer:

Under the Constitution of India, members of the Rajya Sabha are elected for a term of 6 years.