Articles Related to the Vice President

The Vice President is the constitutional link between the Legislature and the Executive.

Election of the Vice President (Article 66)

Elected by an Electoral College consisting of:

• Members of both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha).
• Includes nominated and elected MPs.
• MLAs of State Legislative Assemblies do NOT vote in the Vice President’s election.

Voting System – Proportional Representation & Single Transferable Vote

• Each MP has one vote.
• The candidate must secure more than 50% of valid votes to win.
• Example: In 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th Vice President of India.

Qualifications & Term of Office (Articles 66 & 67)

To be eligible for election, a person must:

• Be a citizen of India.
• Be at least 35 years old.
• Be qualified to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
• Not hold any office of profit under the government.

Term of Office:

• 5 years but can be re-elected.
• Can resign by submitting to the President.

Powers & Functions of the Vice President

The Vice President performs dual roles:

• Ex-Officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Article 64).
• Acts as President in case of vacancy (Article 65).

A. Role as Chairman of Rajya Sabha

• Presides over Rajya Sabha meetings.
• Maintains order and discipline in the House.
• Has the power to decide on disqualification of Rajya Sabha members (under the Anti-Defection Law).
• Votes only in case of a tie.
• Example: The Vice President disqualified 12 MPs from Rajya Sabha in 2021 for disrupting proceedings.

B. Role as Acting President (Article 65)

• Performs the functions of the President in case of:
  • Resignation of the President.
  • Impeachment of the President.
  • Death of the President.
• Holds office for a maximum of 6 months until a new President is elected.
• The Vice President is the first in line to become the Acting President in case of vacancy.

Example:

• V.V. Giri (Vice President) became Acting President after Zakir Husain’s death in 1969.
• B.D. Jatti (Vice President) became Acting President after Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s death in 1977.

Removal of the Vice President (Article 67)

The Vice President can be removed by a resolution of Rajya Sabha passed by:

• Majority of all its members (Absolute Majority).
• Agreed to by Lok Sabha.
• Note: Unlike the President, the Vice President is NOT impeached but removed by a simple resolution.
• No Vice President has ever been removed from office in Indian history.

Comparison: Vice President vs. President

Vice President vs. US Vice President

The Vice President of the USA has more executive power than India’s Vice President.

Key Takeaways for UPSC

• Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Article 64).
• Elected by MPs using Proportional Representation & Single Transferable Vote (Article 66).
• Acts as President in case of vacancy (Article 65).
• Can be removed by Rajya Sabha resolution & Lok Sabha approval (Article 67).
• Does NOT hold any real executive power (unlike US Vice President).

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