In the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), how many parliamentary seats are allocated to the state of Karnataka?

Introduction / Context:
This question examines knowledge of the representation of individual states in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. The number of seats allotted to each state in Rajya Sabha depends largely on its population and is fixed by law. Competitive examinations often ask about the seat strength of important states like Karnataka, so understanding how many members a state sends to Rajya Sabha is an important part of basic Indian polity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is specifically about the number of Rajya Sabha seats of Karnataka.
• The options given are 12, 16, 18 and 31.
• The allocation refers to normal representation under the constitutional and statutory scheme, not a temporary special arrangement.
• No trick regarding nominated members is involved, because the question clearly mentions the state of Karnataka.

Concept / Approach:
The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house that represents the states and union territories at the federal level. Seats in Rajya Sabha are allocated to states broadly in proportion to population, and this allocation is provided in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution and subsequent statutory changes. Each state therefore has a fixed number of seats. Karnataka, being a large southern state, has a moderate but significant representation. Remembering these numbers is largely a matter of factual learning, but it becomes easier when grouped with other southern states for comparison in study notes.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the total strength of Rajya Sabha is 245 members, which includes both elected and nominated members. Step 2: Remember that seats are distributed among states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and others according to population. Step 3: Karnataka, as per the standard allocation used in polity books, has been allotted 12 seats in the Rajya Sabha. Step 4: Compare this recalled figure of 12 with the four options provided in the question. Step 5: Option A matches exactly with the remembered figure of 12 seats for Karnataka. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is that Karnataka has 12 Rajya Sabha seats.

Verification / Alternative check:
A useful verification approach is to remember relative sizes: states such as Uttar Pradesh have more than 30 Rajya Sabha seats, whereas medium sized states like Karnataka and Gujarat have fewer, usually in the low teens. Since one of the options is 31, which is closer to the largest state allocations, it can be rejected. The numbers 16 and 18 are higher than the commonly cited value for Karnataka, leaving 12 as the most realistic and widely accepted figure, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option 16 does not correspond to the standard constitutional allocation for Karnataka and would fit some other state. The option 18 is also higher than the accepted count for Karnataka and contradicts official tables. The option 31 is extremely high and corresponds to the representation of the most populous state in India, not Karnataka. Hence, these three numbers do not match the fixed allocation used in legal and exam references.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often confuse Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha numbers or mix up seat counts for different states. Another error is assuming that any large state must have 20 or more seats, without checking actual data. Some learners also memorise only the totals for a few states and guess for the rest. To reduce mistakes, it helps to create a small table with key states and their Rajya Sabha seats, especially those frequently mentioned in exams, and revise it regularly.

Final Answer:
The number of Rajya Sabha parliamentary seats allocated to Karnataka is 12.