SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 15 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

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SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Consider the following statements about the Rajya Sabha and choose the correct option: 1) Rajya Sabha is a continuing house of the Parliament, immune to dissolution under any circumstance. 2) Rajya Sabha members serve staggered six-year terms, with one-third retiring every two years.

(a)Only 1
(b)Only 2
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Test both statements against Article 83(1).

It says the Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution. The President's power to dissolve (Article 85) and the Emergency extension in Article 83(2) concern the Lok Sabha alone. Statement 1 holds.

The same clause retires, as nearly as possible, one-third of the members every second year. With six-year terms, membership is staggered. Statement 2 holds.

Both are true → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Only 1 — It rejects statement 2, yet Article 83(1) retires about one-third of the members every second year, and each member's term is six years.
(b)
Only 2 — It rejects statement 1, but Article 83(1) says the Council of States 'shall not be subject to dissolution'. Dissolution is a Lok Sabha matter.
(d)
Neither 1 nor 2 — Both statements restate Article 83(1): no dissolution, and about one-third of the members retiring every second year on six-year terms.

Concept

Parliament has one permanent House. The Rajya Sabha is never dissolved as a body. It renews itself in thirds, with elections every two years for the seats falling vacant.

The Lok Sabha is the House that ends. Under Article 83(2) it runs five years from its first meeting unless dissolved sooner, and during a Proclamation of Emergency Parliament may extend it by law, one year at a time.

The six-year term is not written in Article 83. The article says members retire 'in accordance with the provisions made in that behalf by Parliament by law'.

Key facts

Article 83(1): the Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution.
As nearly as possible, one-third of Rajya Sabha members retire on the expiry of every second year.
A Rajya Sabha member's term is six years.
Article 80 caps the Rajya Sabha at 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President.

Study next

Article 80 and the Fourth Schedule: allocation of Rajya Sabha seatsSpecial powers of the Rajya Sabha under Articles 249 and 312Money Bills: the Rajya Sabha's 14-day limit under Article 109

Common traps

Doubting 'under any circumstance': Article 83(1) makes no exception, and Emergency extensions apply only to the Lok Sabha.
Mixing up the numbers: a Rajya Sabha member serves six years, a Lok Sabha lasts five.

The Rajya Sabha is also asked by its Article: its composition (Article 80) at 13 Sep 2024, 12:30, GA Q.13, and its nominated members at 13 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.12.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.