How many parliamentary seats, that is Rajya Sabha seats, are allocated to the state of Punjab in the Council of States?

Introduction / Context:
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, represents the states and union territories at the national level. Each state is allotted a specific number of seats in the Rajya Sabha based on its population and constitutional provisions. This question focuses on the state of Punjab and asks you to recall how many members it sends to the Rajya Sabha. Such questions help test your familiarity with the basic numerical structure of the Indian Parliament.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about Rajya Sabha seats, not Lok Sabha seats.
• The state in question is Punjab, located in northern India.
• Seat allocation in the Rajya Sabha reflects state population but is capped and relatively stable over time.
• The options include both smaller and larger numbers to test precise recall.

Concept / Approach:
Each state is represented in the Rajya Sabha by a fixed number of members elected by the state legislative assembly through proportional representation. Punjab, being a medium sized state in terms of population, has seven seats in the Rajya Sabha. This number is well known and appears in standard polity tables listing state wise allocation of upper house seats. Larger states like Uttar Pradesh have many more seats, whereas very small states or union territories have only one or a few seats.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Punjab, while important, is not among the very largest Indian states in population.Step 2: Remember from state wise tables that Punjab is allocated seven seats in the Rajya Sabha.Step 3: Look at the options and identify seven as a plausible medium range figure.Step 4: Recognise that one is far too low for a state like Punjab and that eighteen or ten would correspond to much larger or differently situated states.Step 5: Conclude that seven is the correct number of Rajya Sabha seats for Punjab.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can cross check this by looking at lists of current Rajya Sabha members by state, where you will see seven entries for Punjab. You might also remember that states like Haryana and Punjab have relatively similar or slightly different allocations, but only Punjab is consistently associated with the figure seven. Polity guides and exam oriented books typically include a table naming Punjab with seven Rajya Sabha seats, confirming your choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The figure one is typical of very small states or union territories and would seriously under represent a state of Punjab size. Eighteen would be extremely high and is more suitable for a much larger state. Ten is also above the actual allocation and is used here as a distractor. None of these numbers match the officially allotted representation of Punjab in the Council of States.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha figures or mix up the seat counts of neighbouring states. Another mistake is to rely on intuition and overestimate representation based on perceived importance rather than actual population and constitutional allocation. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to memorise a short set of anchor figures, such as Uttar Pradesh with thirty one Rajya Sabha seats and Punjab with seven, and then use them as reference points during the exam.

Final Answer:
The state of Punjab has 7 seats in the Rajya Sabha.