Vice President of India: Latest News, Election, Term, Oath & Impeachment | UPSC

The Vice President of India is the second-highest Constitutional office in the Country. The Constitutional framers created the office of Vice President of India along the lines of the office of the American Vice President. Since the office's inception, 14 Vice-Presidents have been appointed so far, i.e, from 1950 to 2022. Dr S. Radhakrishnan was elected in 1952 as the first Vice-President of India. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar is the current Vice President of India. He is the 14th Vice-President of India. The Vice President of India also serves as the ex officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. 

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In this article on the Vice President of India, we shall discuss the office of the Vice President of India and his/her powers and functions in detail. It is one of the most important topics under the Indian Polity, and it will be helpful for the UPSC CSE aspirants in all three stages of the exam. You can also register for the Testbook's flagship optional history coaching for UPSC and kick-start your UPSC IAS preparation journey today.

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About the Vice President of India

The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office after the President. It serves as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, playing a key role in legislative functioning.

• The office of the Vice-President of India was established under Article 63 of the Indian Constitution. This article states, "There shall be a Vice-President of India."
• The office of the American Vice-President inspired this office. However, there is a significant difference between the two. In case the office of the American President falls vacant, then the Vice-President succeeds him and serves the remaining period of the President's office. In contrast, in India, when the office of the President falls vacant, the Vice-President of India acts as the President only till the new President is elected.

You can also check the UPSC Civil Service prelims analysis here.

Functions of the Vice President of India

The two primary functions of the Vice-President of India are enshrined in the following two articles.

Article 64

• According to Article 64 of the Indian Constitution, the Vice-President of India should act as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). 
• When the Vice-President acts as the President or discharges the functions of the President under Article 65 of the Indian Constitution, he cannot perform the duties of the office of Chairman of Rajya Sabha and is not entitled to any salary or allowance payable to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha under Article 97.
• Further, this article states that the Vice-President of India should not hold any office of profit.

Article 65

Article 65 (1)

Under this article, whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the President due to their death, resignation, removal or otherwise, the Vice-President acts as the President of India until the date the new President is elected.

Article 65(2)

Under this article, whenever the President cannot discharge their duties due to absence, illness or any other cause, the Vice-President discharges them until the President resumes them.

Article 65(3)

This article states that, whenever the Vice-President either acts as the President under Article 65(1) or discharges the duties of the President under Article 65(2), they have all the powers and immunities of the President and are entitled to the emoluments, entitlements and privileges determined by the Parliamentary law.

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Election of the Vice President of India

Article 66 of the Indian Constitution deals with the provisions related to the election of the Vice-President of India.

Article 66(1)

• The Vice-President is elected indirectly by the electoral college.
• The electoral college consists of the elected and nominated members of both Houses of Parliament.
• The proportional representation system, which employs a single transferable vote, is used in the election.
• In the election of the Vice-President, the voting is done by secret ballot.

Article 66(2)

It deals with the conditions of the office of the Vice-President. They are as follows,

• The Vice-President should not be a member of either House of Parliament or a House of any State Legislature.
• If any such person is elected as the Vice-President, they are deemed to vacate their seat in that house on the date they enter their office.

Article 66(3)

This article lists the qualifications required to be eligible for election to the office of Vice-President. They are as follows,

• They should be a citizen of India.
• He//She should have completed the age of 35 years.
• They should be qualified as a member of the Council of States, i.e., Rajya Sabha.

Article 66(4)

According to this article, a person holding any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any said Governments is not eligible for the election as Vice-President of India.

Read the Schedules of the Indian Constitution here.

Term Of Office Of the Vice President Of India

According to Article 67 of the Indian Constitution:

• The tenure of the office of the Vice-President is five years and is calculated from the date on which/they enter office.
• The Vice-President can resign from their office by writing a letter to the President of India.
• They can be removed from the office if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution regarding the same by a majority of all the then members of the House, and the Lok Sabha should also accept them. However, no such resolutions can be passed unless a 14-day notice mentioning the intention for removal is issued to the Vice-President. 
• They can continue to hold the office of Vice-President beyond the expiration of their term until their successor enters upon the office.

Vacancy in the Office of the Vice President of India

Article 68 of the Indian Constitution deals with the time of holding an election to fill a vacancy in the office of Vice-President and the term of office of the person who fills the vacancy.

Article 68(1)

To fill the vacancy in the office of the Vice President, which would be caused by the expiration of the term of the sitting Vice-President, the election should be held before the expiry of the term.

Article 68(2)

If the office of the Vice President falls vacant due to death, resignation, removal or otherwise, the election should be held as soon as possible. According to Article 67, the newly elected Vice-President will hold office for five years from entering the office.

Check the article on Pardoning Powers of the President here.

Oath By the Vice President of India

• Before entering upon office, the Vice-President of India makes the following oath or affirmation,
  • To bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as established by law.
  • To faithfully discharge the duties of their office.
• The President of India or some person appointed administers the oath—discharge of the President's Functions in Other Contingencies.

• According to Article 70 of the Indian Constitution, the Parliament has the power to make provisions for the discharge of the functions of the President by the Vice-President, in other circumstances that were not provided to the Vice-President earlier. 
• The Parliament can make such provisions only if satisfied that the Vice-President is fit to discharge those functions and duties.

Study the Fundamental Duties in India here.

Matters Related To the Election Of the Vice President Of India

Article 71 of the Indian Constitution deals with the disputes related to the election of the President and the Vice-President of India.

Article 71(1)

All the doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with the election of the President or Vice-President are inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court, whose decision shall be final.

Article 71(2)

Suppose the election of a person as President or Vice-President is declared void by the Supreme Court. In that case, the acts done by him/her in performing the powers and duties of the office, on or before the date of the decision of the Supreme Court, cannot be declared invalid.

Article 71(3)

The Parliament can regulate any matter relating to or concerning the election of the President or Vice-President by framing appropriate laws.

Article 71(4)

The election of the President or Vice-President cannot be challenged because the electoral college electing them was incomplete.

Check the Polity notes on the Veto Powers of the President here.

Impeachment of the Vice President of India

• Before a resolution may be moved, the Vice President of India must be given at least 14 days' notice.
• The Vice President's election was likewise conducted using the secret ballot system. He will serve in the Vice President's office for five years, beginning on the day he is appointed.
• When the Vice President resigns in writing to the President, he is also dismissed.
• When a President is impeached for violating the Constitution, the allegation must be preferred by either House of Parliament, according to Article 61.
• No such change shall be preferred unless
  • The proposal to prefer such change is contained in a resolution that has been moved after at least fourteen days' written notice has been given by not less than one-fourth of the total number of members of the House of their intention to move the resolution, and
  • Such a resolution has been passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House.

Also, know more about Ordinance Making Power of the President & Governor here.

Powers of the Vice President

He is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

• The powers of the Rajya Sabha Chairman are similar to those of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• He is also relatable to the Vice President of the USA in this respect, the Chairman of the USA Senate (Upper House of the Legislature).
• However, when he is performing the duties of the President in his absence, he does not act as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• In such a case, the duties of the Rajya Sabha Chairman are performed by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

He acts as the President in case of his absence.

• When the President of India is absent for various reasons,s as absence, illness, resignation, removal, or death, the Vice President of India acts as the President of India.
• In this capacity, he performs all the duties of the President of India and has all the powers similar to those exercised by the President of India.
• However, the Vice President of India can act as the President of India for a maximum period of 6 months, within which fresh elections must occur to elect a new President of India.

Study about the Fundamental Rights of India here.

Vice President of India List

Comparison Between the President and the Vice-President

Some key differences between the office of the President of India and the office of the Vice-President of India are listed below.

Also read: Difference between Cabinet and Council of Ministers here

Important Questions related to the Vice President of India

Conclusion

The 2025 Indian Vice Presidential election reflects the democratic process of consensus-building and parliamentary representation, ensuring continuity in Rajya Sabha leadership while highlighting evolving political alignments and the importance of constitutional offices in India's governance structure.

We hope the above article on the Vice-President of India proves to be helpful for the UPSC CSE aspirants. You can avail yourself of more such notes and NCERT summaries curated by the subject matter experts of Testbook by downloading the Testbook App.