Vice-President of India – Notes [GK PDF]

The Vice President of India

The post of Vice-President is mentioned in Article 63 of the constitution of India. The post of Vice-President is after the President and he might be the next President of India.

Vice-President – general knowledge notes for competitive govt job exams like IAS, UPSC, SSC, Banking, etc. A collection of important points from the vice president is enlisted in this post so that all the aspirants can be able to take the beneficial knowledge.

The election procedure of the Vice President is different from the President. The Vice President is not elected by direct vote. The Vice-President is elected by an Electoral College.

This Electoral College is made up of members of both houses of Parliament. The Vice President is elected by secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation by a single transferable vote [Article 66 (1)].

Eligibility of the Vice President

Article 66 of the Constitution of India mentions the eligibility of the Vice Presidential candidate. The Vice Presidential candidate needs to have the following qualifications.

1. Must be an Indian citizen.
2. Must be at least 35 years of age.
3. Should be eligible to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
4. For becoming a candidate, a salaried person should not hold any government post [Article 66 (3)].
5. He may not be a member of Parliament or the State Legislature.
   Members of the Central and State Legislative Assemblies, including nominated members of Parliament, can be a candidate for the Vice Presidential election. But once elected, he will have to resign from the Legislative Assemblies.
6. The nomination papers of the Vice Presidential candidate shall be proposed by twenty electors and supported by twenty other electors among the members of the Upper House.
7. The Vice Presidential candidate has to deposit Rs. 15,000 as security.

Term of Vice-President:

• Like the President, the term of office of the Vice President is five years.
• He may be re-elected.

Impeachment of Vice-President

The Vice President may resign or be removed before his term expires. He does not have to follow the formal impeachment procedure for dismissal due to violating the Constitution. A 14-day notice has to be given for violating the constitution. The issue of removal of the Vice President needs to be raised in the Rajya Sabha.

If the post of Vice President becomes vacant, the election process will have to be completed within 6 months and a new Vice President will have to be elected.

Salary of Vice President:

The Salary of Vice President is Rs. 400,000.

According to the parliamentary law enacted in 2008, the monthly salary of the Vice-President was one lakh twenty-five thousand (1,25,000) rupees, which is now 4,00,000 rupees. But when he plays the role of president, he receives the president’s salary and allowances. In fact, at that time, he received no salary as vice president. He received his salary as the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Parliament can change its salary, allowances and other benefits by enacting legislation.

Functions of the Vice-President:

The functions of the Vice President are divided into two parts.

(i) Role as Vice President:

It is commonly said that the Vice President of India has no function. If somehow a vacancy is created in the post of President due to death, resignation, or removal, then the Vice President holds the post of President. He can serve as president for a maximum of six months. At that time, he performed the functions of the president.

For example, after the death of President Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, Vice President B. D. Jatti became the President of India. But the vice president remains in office for a certain period of time. He can hold the post of President for up to 6 months.

(2) Role as Chairman of Rajya Sabha:

Presiding as an Officer of the Rajya Sabha:, Casting Vote, Acting as President in Absence, Chairing Committees, Represent India Abroad, etc are some common roles of the vice president as a chairman in Rajya Sabha

The Vice President became the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha by qua. This is his only & important role as Vice President. However, the Vice President does not become a member of the Rajya Sabha. He conducts the Rajya Sabha as he is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. However, he does not participate in any discussion or debate.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President has no right to vote. When the Vice President performs the duty of the president in the absence of the President, he also has to play the role of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The post of Vice President of India is prestigious. But he does not play an important role in any mode of government. In the history of the Indian Constitution, the post of Vice President is for training to be the future President. There are many vice presidents who become presidents in the future. Examples – S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, V.V. Giri, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma and K.R. Narayanan.

Powers of the Vice President of India:

Limited Executive Powers:

• He is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
• The Vice President’s power is less than the President.
• He/She is limited to performing the President’s duties if the President is absent somehow.
• Does not have veto power.
• May act as an advisor to the President.
• Preservation of Order in Rajya Sabha.

Articles 63 to 71 – Vice-President

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