The Vice-President of India is elected indirectly by members of:
Both Houses of Parliament
The constitutional provisions relating to the election of the Vice-President are mainly contained in:
Article 66
The election differs significantly from the election of the President, particularly in the composition of the electoral college.
Article 66 → Election of Vice-President
Electoral College → Both Houses of Parliament
Nominated MPs → Included
State Legislatures → No Role
Method → Proportional Representation + Single Transferable Vote
Ballot → Secret
The election of the Vice-President is provided under:
Article 66
Related provisions include:
Article 63 → Office of Vice-President
Article 64 → Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Article 65 → Acts as President
Article 67 → Term
Article 68 → Election to Fill Vacancy
Article 71 → Election Disputes
The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of:
Members of Both Houses of Parliament
This includes:
Both:
Elected MPs
and:
Nominated MPs
participate.
Members of:
do not participate in the election of the Vice-President.
President → MPs + Elected MLAs
Vice-President → MPs Only
The Vice-President's primary constitutional role is closely connected with:
Parliament
because the Vice-President serves as:
Ex-Officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Therefore, the electoral college is limited to:
Members of Parliament
Elected members of:
Lok Sabha
and:
Rajya Sabha
participate in the election.
Every elected MP has:
One Vote
Nominated members of:
Lok Sabha
and:
Rajya Sabha
also participate.
This is an important difference from the:
Presidential Election
Nominated MPs cannot vote in the Vice-Presidential election.
False
They can vote.
The Vice-President is elected through:
Proportional Representation
by means of:
Single Transferable Vote
PR + STV
The election is conducted through:
Secret Ballot
This protects:
Freedom of Choice of Electors
Unlike the Presidential election, the Vice-Presidential election does not use:
Weighted Votes
Each member of the electoral college has:
One Vote
Therefore:
Vote of an MP = One Vote
In the Presidential election, the value of an MLA's vote varies according to:
Population of the State
and:
Number of Elected MLAs
No such system exists for the Vice-President.
VP Election → Equal Vote Value
A candidate for Vice-President must satisfy the constitutional qualifications.
The nomination must be supported by:
At Least 20 Proposers
and:
At Least 20 Seconders
who are members of the electoral college.
The same member cannot:
Subscribe to More Than One Nomination Paper
as proposer or seconder.
A candidate must deposit the prescribed:
Security Deposit
as required under the applicable election law.
The purpose is to discourage:
Frivolous Candidatures
A candidate must:
Be a Citizen of India
and:
Have Completed 35 Years of Age
and:
Be Qualified for Election as a Member of Rajya Sabha
and:
Not Hold a Disqualifying Office of Profit
The candidate must be qualified for election as a:
Member of Rajya Sabha
The candidate does not need to:
Actually Be a Rajya Sabha Member
Qualification for Rajya Sabha ≠ Membership of Rajya Sabha
A person holding an:
Office of Profit under the Government
may be disqualified.
However, the Constitution provides exceptions for certain constitutional offices.
The offices of:
are not treated as offices of profit for this purpose.
The election is conducted according to:
Constitutional Provisions
and:
Election Laws
The election process is administered under the authority of the:
Election Commission of India
The:
Election Commission of India
conducts the election of the Vice-President.
It is responsible for matters such as:
The election process includes appointment of a:
Returning Officer
who performs duties relating to:
The Returning Officer is appointed according to the applicable election framework.
Because the election uses:
Single Transferable Vote
voters indicate preferences:
1
2
3
and so on.
The counting therefore takes account of:
First Preferences
and, where necessary:
Transferred Preferences
Each elector marks:
One First Preference
for the candidate they prefer most.
If a candidate receives the required quota based on the valid votes, that candidate is elected.
If no candidate obtains the required quota, votes may be transferred according to the:
Next Preference
indicated by electors.
This is the:
Single Transferable Vote System
The system is called:
Proportional Representation
because the voting mechanism seeks to provide representation according to the preferences expressed by the electorate.
However, unlike the Presidential election:
Vote Value Is Equal
Electoral College:
Elected MPs
Elected MLAs
of:
Do Not Vote
Do Not Vote
Electoral College:
All MPs
including:
Nominated MPs
Do Not Vote
Represents:
Union + States
Therefore:
States Participate
Primarily connected with:
Parliament
Therefore:
Only Parliament Participates
No.
The Vice-President is elected:
Indirectly
by members of Parliament.
There is no:
Direct Popular Vote
No.
State Legislatures have:
No Role
in the Vice-Presidential election.
Nominated MPs → No
Nominated MPs → Yes
This is one of the most important UPSC Prelims distinctions.
Under:
Article 71
all doubts and disputes relating to the election of the Vice-President are decided by:
Supreme Court
The decision of the Supreme Court is:
Final
The election cannot be challenged merely because:
A Vacancy Exists Among the Electors
The constitutional scheme ensures that a vacancy does not invalidate the entire electoral process.
Under:
Article 68
if the office becomes vacant due to:
an election must be held:
As Soon As Possible
When the Vice-President's term is about to expire, the election for the successor must be completed:
Before the Expiration of the Term
Normal Vacancy → Election Before Term Ends
If a vacancy occurs before the normal expiry of the term:
Election Must Be Held As Soon As Possible
The newly elected Vice-President serves:
A Full Five-Year Term
Supreme Court
under:
Article 71
Election disputes concerning the Vice-President are decided by the Election Commission.
False
The Election Commission conducts the election.
The:
Supreme Court
decides election disputes.
| Feature | President | Vice-President |
|---|---|---|
| Elected MPs | Yes | Yes |
| Nominated MPs | No | Yes |
| Elected MLAs | Yes | No |
| Nominated MLAs | No | No |
| State Legislatures | Participate through elected MLAs | No role |
| Vote value | Weighted | Equal |
| Method | PR + STV | PR + STV |
| Ballot | Secret | Secret |
The President is:
Head of the State
Therefore the election reflects:
Union + State Representation
The Vice-President is:
Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Therefore the election is based on:
Parliamentary Representation
Nominated MPs participate because the Vice-President is closely connected with:
Parliament
and specifically:
Rajya Sabha
This makes the Vice-Presidential electoral college broader within Parliament than the Presidential electoral college.
No.
No MLA participates.
This means the Vice-President's election is entirely:
Parliamentary
No.
The candidate only needs to be:
Qualified for Election to Rajya Sabha
The candidate does not have to be an existing member of Parliament.
Yes.
A Minister can contest the Vice-Presidential election, subject to fulfilling the constitutional qualifications.
The office of:
Minister
is not treated as a disqualifying office of profit for this purpose.
Yes.
The Constitution does not impose a:
Term Limit
on the Vice-President.
Therefore, a person may be elected:
More Than Once
subject to the electoral process.
The Vice-President is elected for:
Five Years
The term begins from the date of entering office.
The Vice-President continues until:
Successor Enters Office
There is:
No Constitutional Bar on Re-election
A Vice-President may seek another term.
The Vice-President can serve only one term.
False
After election, the Vice-President takes oath under:
Article 69
before:
President
or:
Person Appointed by President
The sequence is:
Election
↓
Declaration of Result
↓
Oath
↓
Assumption of Office
The Vice-President's election is:
Indirect
The electoral college is:
Parliamentary
The voting method is:
Proportional Representation
The voting mechanism is:
Single Transferable Vote
The ballot is:
Secret
Article 66 → Election
Both Houses → Electoral College
Nominated MPs → Included
State MLAs → Excluded
PR → Voting System
STV → Method
Secret Ballot → Voting
Equal Vote Value → Every MP
Only elected MPs elect the Vice-President.
False
Nominated MPs also vote.
State MLAs participate in the election of the Vice-President.
False
They do not.
Nominated MPs participate in the Presidential election.
False
They participate in the:
Vice-Presidential Election
The value of each MP's vote varies according to the State.
False
Each MP has:
One Vote
The Vice-President is directly elected by the people.
False
The Vice-President is:
Indirectly Elected
The Vice-President is elected by both Houses in a joint sitting.
False
Members of both Houses constitute the:
Electoral College
There is no ordinary:
Joint Sitting
for the election.
The Vice-President must be a sitting Rajya Sabha member.
False
The candidate only needs to be:
Qualified for Rajya Sabha Election
Vice-President election uses different vote values for MPs.
False
Votes have:
Equal Value
Election disputes are decided by the Election Commission.
False
They are decided by:
Supreme Court
Vice-President can serve only one term.
False
There is:
No Constitutional Term Limit
Office of Vice-President
Ex-Officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Acts as President
Election of Vice-President
Term + Removal
Election to Fill Vacancy
Oath
Other Presidential Contingencies
Election Disputes
The Vice-Presidential election is deliberately confined to:
Members of Parliament
This reflects the office's strong relationship with:
Parliamentary Government
The Vice-President's constitutional role as:
Ex-Officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
explains why the electoral college differs from that of the President.
The Vice-President also serves as a constitutional safeguard because the office-holder can:
Act as President
during specified circumstances.
The election combines:
Parliamentary Representation
with:
Proportional Representation
while avoiding:
State-Based Vote Weighting
For:
"Explain the election of the Vice-President of India and distinguish it from the election of the President."
Use:
Article 66 + Indirect Election
Both Houses of Parliament
Nominated MPs Included
State Legislatures Excluded
PR + STV
Secret Ballot
Equal Vote Value
Article 71 → Supreme Court
President → Elected MPs + Elected MLAs
Vice-President → All MPs
The Vice-Presidential electoral system reflects the office's close association with Parliament and Rajya Sabha.
"The Vice-President is elected indirectly under Article 66 by an electoral college consisting exclusively of members of both Houses of Parliament. Unlike the Presidential election, nominated MPs also participate and State Legislatures have no role, reflecting the Vice-President's close constitutional association with Parliament."
"Thus, the Vice-Presidential electoral system is essentially parliamentary in character. Its composition, equal vote value and proportional representation through the single transferable vote distinguish it from the federal character of the Presidential electoral college."
Both Houses of Parliament
↓
Elected MPs + Nominated MPs
↓
No MLAs
Proportional Representation
↓
Single Transferable Vote
↓
Secret Ballot
Every MP
↓
One Vote
↓
Equal Value
Article 71
↓
Supreme Court
↓
Final Decision
President
↓
Elected MPs + Elected MLAs
↓
Federal Representation
Vice-President
↓
All MPs
↓
Parliamentary Representation
Election of Vice-President
↓
Article 66
↓
Both Houses of Parliament
↓
Elected + Nominated MPs
↓
No State Legislatures
↓
Proportional Representation
Single Transferable Vote
Secret Ballot
Equal Vote Value
↓
Article 71
↓
Supreme Court → Election Disputes
Vice-President's Election = Parliamentary Electoral College
President's Election = Federal Electoral College
