Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
Also called: Article 80(3) · Topic: Parliament: Composition, Powers and Law-making · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 5 "Universal Franchise and India's Electoral System"; Class 11, Ch 5 "Legislature"
Meaning
Under Article 80(3), the President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha. They are chosen for special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service. The idea is to bring expert voices into Parliament without making them fight elections. A nominee may join a political party within six months of taking the seat (Tenth Schedule para 2(3)).
Example
Nominated members vote in the election of the Vice-President but not in the election of the President. This is a common exam trap: the statement "nominated members vote in the presidential election" is false.
Don't confuse with
- Anglo-Indian nominated seats: were nominations to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to represent one community. They were ended by the 104th Amendment, 2019.