UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats to be held on Oct. 16
Q1. In the context of Article 80 of the Constitution, the Fourth Schedule is the schedule which—
- A. allots the seats in the Council of States among the States and the Union territories
- B. prescribes the form of oath to be made by a member of the Council of States before taking his seat
- C. fixes the salaries and allowances payable to the Chairman of the Council of States
- D. names the States and the Union territories together with the extent of their territories
Q2. Under the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution, how many seats in the Council of States are allotted to Uttar Pradesh?
Q3. For a biennial election to the Council of States necessitated by the expiry of the term of retiring members, the notification calling upon the elected members of a State Legislative Assembly to elect members is issued by—
- A. the Election Commission of India, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951
- B. the President, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951
- C. the Governor of the State concerned, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951
- D. the Chairman of the Council of States, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951
Q4. Of the present total membership of the Rajya Sabha, how many seats are held by representatives of the States and of the Union territories, who alone are subject to the biennial retirement cycle of elected members?
Q5. Consider the following statements comparing elections to the Council of States with other elections in India, and with the position obtaining before 2003:
1. Unlike elections to the House of the People, where voting is by secret ballot, votes at an election to fill a seat in the Council of States are given by open ballot.
2. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2003 altered only the mode of balloting, retaining the earlier requirement that a candidate for the Council of States be an elector for a Parliamentary constituency in the State from which he seeks election.
3. Unlike members of a State Legislative Council, members of a State Legislative Assembly who have been elected constitute the electorate for the Council of States seats of that State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike elections to the House of the People, where voting is by secret ballot, votes at an election to fill a seat in the Council of States are given by open ballot.
- The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2003 altered only the mode of balloting, retaining the earlier requirement that a candidate for the Council of States be an elector for a Parliamentary constituency in the State from which he seeks election.
- Unlike members of a State Legislative Council, members of a State Legislative Assembly who have been elected constitute the electorate for the Council of States seats of that State.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. At an election to the Council of States held by proportional representation through the single transferable vote, the value assigned to the ballot paper of each voting elector is—
- A. 100, uniformly for every voting elector, whichever the State may be
- B. 700, uniformly for every voting elector, whichever the State may be
- C. the population of the State divided by the number of its elected members, divided again by 1,000
- D. one, with surpluses above the quota transferred at a reduced fractional value
Q7. When a seat in the Council of States falls vacant before the expiry of the member's term, the authority that notifies the election to fill it, and the outer period within which such a bye-election must ordinarily be held, are respectively—
- A. the President; six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy
- B. the Election Commission of India; six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy
- C. the Election Commission of India; three months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy
- D. the Chairman of the Council of States; six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy
Q8. With reference to the filling of a casual vacancy in the Council of States, consider the following propositions:
1. The member chosen at such an election holds office only for the remainder of his predecessor's term of office.
2. Such a bye-election must be held in every case, irrespective of how much of the predecessor's term remains unexpired.
3. The electorate is the same as at a biennial election — the elected members of the State Legislative Assembly, voting on the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
4. Such an election is conducted entirely by the Secretariat of the Council of States, the Election Commission having no role once the vacancy is reported to the Chairman.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The member chosen at such an election holds office only for the remainder of his predecessor's term of office.
- Such a bye-election must be held in every case, irrespective of how much of the predecessor's term remains unexpired.
- The electorate is the same as at a biennial election — the elected members of the State Legislative Assembly, voting on the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
- Such an election is conducted entirely by the Secretariat of the Council of States, the Election Commission having no role once the vacancy is reported to the Chairman.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q9. With reference to the elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats announced for 16 October 2026, consider the following:
1. Ten of the seats fall in Uttar Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand, these eleven being vacancies arising from the expiry of the terms of sitting members in November 2026.
2. The twelfth seat is a West Bengal seat that fell vacant on the resignation of a sitting member and is therefore being filled by a bye-election.
3. All twelve seats, including the West Bengal seat, are being filled as part of the biennial election arising from retirement by efflux of time.
4. The member elected from West Bengal on this occasion will hold office for a full term of six years reckoned from the date of his or her election.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- Ten of the seats fall in Uttar Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand, these eleven being vacancies arising from the expiry of the terms of sitting members in November 2026.
- The twelfth seat is a West Bengal seat that fell vacant on the resignation of a sitting member and is therefore being filled by a bye-election.
- All twelve seats, including the West Bengal seat, are being filled as part of the biennial election arising from retirement by efflux of time.
- The member elected from West Bengal on this occasion will hold office for a full term of six years reckoned from the date of his or her election.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 3 and 4
- C. 2 and 3
- D. 4 only
Q10. A sitting member of the Rajya Sabha, such as each of the Trinamool Congress members who quit the House in 2026, can resign his or her seat in which of the following ways?
- A. By writing addressed to the Chairman of the Council of States, who shall decline to accept it if satisfied on inquiry that it is not voluntary or genuine
- B. By writing addressed to the Speaker of the House of the People, who is bound to accept it the moment it is received by his office
- C. By writing addressed to the President, the seat falling vacant automatically on the date of submission of the letter in every case
- D. By writing addressed to the Election Commission of India, which alone may declare the seat vacant after obtaining the consent of the party
Q11. The Bahujan Samaj Party's sole seat in either House of Parliament is a Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh; the term of office attaching to that seat expires on—
- A. 25 November 2026
- B. 25 November 2028
- C. 2 April 2032
- D. 4 July 2030
Q12. A question whether a member of the Council of States has become subject to disqualification on the ground of defection is decided by which authority, and with what finality?
- A. By the Chairman of the Council of States, whose decision under the Tenth Schedule is amenable to judicial review
- B. By the Chairman of the Council of States, whose decision under the Tenth Schedule is made final and immune from judicial review
- C. By the President, according to the opinion of the Election Commission, whose opinion binds the President
- D. By the Supreme Court in the exercise of its original jurisdiction over disputes to which the Union is a party