In which year was Rajya Sabha constituted for the first time?

The answer is 1952. The Council of States (Rajya Sabha) was constituted in April 1952, under Article 80 of the Constitution, and it first met on 13 May 1952 with S. Radhakrishnan as its Chairman. Elections for both Houses were held through 1951-52, which is why the year looks confusing.

• A) 1950: The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, but Parliament then functioned as the Provisional Parliament, with members drawn from the Constituent Assembly. Regular Parliament came later.
• B) 1951: The Representation of the People Act, 1951 was passed that year and the first general elections were held, but the Rajya Sabha was not yet constituted.
• D) 1953: No constitutional milestone for the Rajya Sabha falls in this year.

The core concept is the bicameral structure of the Union Parliament and the Rajya Sabha as a permanent House, which is not subject to dissolution, with one-third of its members retiring every second year. This links directly to Mains questions on federalism and the role of the Council of States.

Trap: Aspirants pick 1951 because it is the election year, or 1950 because it is the year the Constitution commenced. Keep the constitution date separate from the year the House was actually formed.