Electoral College and Election Process:
➤ The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members from both Houses of Parliament—Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
➤ This electoral college is different from that of the President in two main ways:
- It includes both elected and nominated members of Parliament, whereas the presidential electoral college consists only of elected members.
- It does not include members from state legislative assemblies, unlike the presidential electoral college.
Qualifications for the Vice-President:
- Must be an Indian citizen.
- Must be at least 35 years old.
- Must be qualified to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
- Should not hold any office of profit under the Union government, any state government, or other public authorities.
- Nomination for the election requires at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders.
Oath or Affirmation:
➤ Before assuming office, the Vice-President must swear to:
- Bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India.
- Faithfully discharge the duties of the office.
➤ The oath is administered by the President or a designated person appointed by him.
Conditions of Office:
- The Vice-President must not be a member of either House of Parliament or a state legislature; if elected, the individual is deemed to have vacated their seat in that House.
- Cannot hold any other office of profit.
Term of Office and Removal:
- The Vice-President holds office for five years from the date they take office, but can be re-elected for any number of terms.
- The Vice-President can resign by sending a letter to the President.
- Removal of the Vice-President requires a majority vote in Rajya Sabha and a simple majority in Lok Sabha.
- A 14-day notice is needed to introduce a resolution for removal in Rajya Sabha.
- The Vice-President continues to hold office until a successor takes charge.
Vacancy in Office:
- A vacancy can arise due to expiration of tenure, resignation, removal, death, disqualification, or invalidation of election.
- An election must be held before the end of the current Vice-President's term to avoid a vacancy.
- If the office is vacated early, an election must be held as soon as possible.
- The newly elected Vice-President serves a full term of five years from the date of assumption.
Functions of the Vice-President:
- Chairman of Rajya Sabha: Acts as ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. His role is similar to that of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha.
- Acting President: In the case of a vacancy in the presidency, the Vice-President takes on the role of Acting President for a maximum period of six months, during which a new President is elected.
During the period in which the Vice-President serves as President, they do not fulfill their duties as Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Those duties are then performed by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
While acting as President, the Vice-President receives the salary and allowance of the President, not of the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Articles : Vice President
63rd BPSC
Q. Who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
A. The President
B. The Vice-President
C. The Prime Minister
D. None of the above
38th BPSC
Q. Which of the following statements is not correct?
A. To hold the office of President Candidate should have the minimum age of 35 years
B. Vice-President is Chairman of Rajya Sabha
C. Vice-President is appointed by the President of India
D. None of the above
