History of Rajya Sabha
When was the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) first constituted?
Ans: On 3 April 1952.
When did the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) meet for the first time?
Ans: On 13 May 1952.
When was the Council of States named as ‘Rajya Sabha’ in Hindi?
Ans: On 23 August 1954. The Chairman, Rajya Sabha made an announcement in the House that the Council of States would now be called ‘Rajya Sabha’ in Hindi.
Who was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. He was the only Chairman to have two terms (13.5.1952-12.5.1962).
Who was the first Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri S.V.Krishnamoorthy Rao (31.5.1952 - 2.4.1956 & 25.4.1956 - 1.3.1962). 
Composition of Rajya Sabha
What is the maximum strength of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Two hundred and fifty (250), of which 238 are to be elected and 12 are to be nominated by the President of India.
What is the actual strength of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Two hundred and forty five (245), of which 233 are elected and 12 are nominated.
How many members does each State have in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to the States is based on population. It is given in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution, which is as fol
lows:
| States | No. of seats |
| Andhra Pradesh | 18 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
| Assam | 7 |
| Bihar | 16 |
| Chhattisgarh | 5 |
| Goa | 1 |
| Gujarat | 11 |
| Haryana | 5 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 3 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 4 |
| Jharkhand | 6 |
| Karnataka | 12 |
| Kerala | 9 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 11 |
| Maharashtra | 19 |
| Manipur | 1 |
| Meghalaya | 1 |
| Mizoram | 1 |
| Nagaland | 1 |
| Orissa | 10 |
| Punjab | 7 |
| Rajasthan | 10 |
| Sikkim | 1 |
| Tamil Nadu | 18 |
| Tripura | 1 |
| Uttarakhand | 3 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 31 |
| West Bengal | 16 |
Currently how many members are elected from Union territories?
Ans: In total four members are elected from the Union territories (3 from Delhi and 1 from Puducherry). However, currently one seat from Delhi and one from Puducherry is vacant. Other Union territories are not represented in Rajya Sabha.
Why is Rajya Sabha called a permanent body?
Ans: Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; as nearly as possible, one-third of its members retire every second year.
What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It is six years; but a member elected in a bye-election serves for the remainder of the term of the vacancy caused.
What is the quorum to constitute a meeting of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It is one-tenth of the total members of the House, i.e., 25 members.
Which is the party with maximum members in the House?
Ans: Indian National Congress.
