The Constitution provides for:
A Vice-President of India
under:
Article 63
The Vice-President is the:
Second-highest constitutional office of India
and also serves as:
Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Important Articles related to the Vice-President:
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| Article 63 | Office of Vice-President |
| Article 64 | Vice-President as ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha |
| Article 65 | Vice-President acting as President |
| Article 66 | Election of Vice-President |
| Article 67 | Term of office |
| Article 68 | Election to fill vacancy |
| Article 69 | Oath or affirmation |
| Article 71 | Election disputes |
The Vice-President is:
Not directly elected by the people.
The Vice-President is elected through:
An Electoral College
Therefore:
Vice-Presidential election = Indirect election
Under:
Article 66
the Vice-President is elected by:
Members of both Houses of Parliament
This includes:
The Election Commission specifically confirms that nominated members of both Houses are included in the Vice-Presidential Electoral College.
The following do not participate:
Only Members of Parliament vote in the Vice-Presidential election.
Elected MPs + Elected MLAs
Members of both Houses of Parliament
Therefore:
Nominated MPs can vote for Vice-President but cannot vote for President.
This is one of the most important UPSC Prelims traps.
Article 66 specifically says:
Members of both Houses of Parliament
rather than:
Elected members of both Houses.
Therefore:
Nominated members are included.
The Constitution limits the Electoral College to:
Members of both Houses of Parliament.
State Legislatures are:
Not included.
Therefore:
No MLA participates in the Vice-Presidential election.
The Vice-President is elected through:
Proportional Representation
by means of:
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
and:
Secret Ballot
This is expressly provided in Article 66(1).
Vice-President = Indirect + MPs only + PR-STV + Secret Ballot
A major difference from the Presidential election:
Every MP has an equal vote value.
There is:
No weighted vote system
for the Vice-Presidential election.
The Election Commission confirms that because all electors are Members of Parliament, each elector's vote has the same value:
1.
MLA:
Weighted
MP:
Equal
MP:
Equal
No MLA vote weighting is involved in the Vice-Presidential election.
The Vice-President is elected only by:
Members of Parliament
Therefore there is no need to balance:
State representation vs Union representation
through weighted MLA votes.
Each parliamentary elector has one vote.
Under STV, MPs rank candidates.
Example:
1 → Candidate A
2 → Candidate B
3 → Candidate C
An elector can express:
First preference + subsequent preferences
The ECI states that an elector may mark as many preferences as there are candidates.
The first preference is marked:
1
First preference is compulsory.
Other preferences:
Optional
A ballot can therefore be valid even if the elector marks only:
First preference
provided other validity requirements are satisfied.
Suppose:
Candidate A is eliminated.
An elector's ballot shows:
The vote can transfer to:
Candidate B
according to the counting rules.
The voter's subsequent preference can influence the final result.
Since the election uses:
PR-STV
a candidate must obtain the prescribed:
Quota
to be elected.
Because there is only:
One office
the effective winning requirement is:
More than half of the valid votes
under the applicable counting process.
A common UPSC confusion is:
"If only one Vice-President is elected, why use proportional representation?"
The answer is:
STV provides a preferential voting mechanism through which the winner must secure the required quota.
Thus:
PR-STV can be used even when only one office is being filled.
Count:
First preferences
Calculate:
Valid vote total
Check:
Whether any candidate has reached the quota
If no candidate reaches the quota:
Lowest candidate is eliminated
Their transferable votes move according to:
Next preferences
Totals are recalculated.
The process continues until:
A candidate reaches the required quota.
The Vice-Presidential election is conducted through:
Secret ballot
The elector's preference:
Is protected from disclosure.
The ECI has specifically emphasised secrecy of voting in Vice-Presidential elections.
The Vice-Presidential election is conducted through:
Secret ballot
and:
Party whip does not apply
in the same manner as an ordinary legislative vote.
An MP is:
Not legally bound by a party whip in choosing the Vice-President.
The Anti-Defection Law:
Does not apply to the act of voting in the Vice-Presidential election in the same manner as ordinary legislative voting.
An MP can exercise:
Independent electoral choice
through the secret ballot.
NOTA is not available in the Vice-Presidential election.
The election requires:
Preference among contesting candidates
rather than a NOTA option.
Proxy voting is not permitted.
The elector must personally cast the vote according to the prescribed procedure.
Under:
Article 66(3)
a person must satisfy the following conditions to become Vice-President:
Must be:
Citizen of India
Must have completed:
35 years
Must be:
Qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha
Must not hold:
A disqualifying office of profit
under the Union, State or specified local authorities.
These qualifications are provided in Article 66.
Vice-Presidential candidate:
35 years
President:
35 years
Lok Sabha:
25 years
Rajya Sabha:
30 years
The Vice-President must be:
Qualified for election as a member of the Council of States
i.e.:
Rajya Sabha
President:
Lok Sabha qualification
Vice-President:
Rajya Sabha qualification
A person holding:
Office of profit
under the Government of India, State Government or specified authorities:
Is disqualified
subject to the constitutional provisions.
Eligibility includes:
No disqualifying office of profit.
Yes.
However, if a member of:
is elected Vice-President:
Their seat is deemed vacant when they enter office as Vice-President.
This follows Article 66(2).
The Vice-President:
Cannot simultaneously remain a member of Parliament or a State Legislature.
Therefore:
Entering the office of Vice-President ends the previous legislative membership.
Under:
Article 67
the Vice-President holds office for:
Five years
from the date on which they enter office.
The Constitution:
Does not impose a maximum number of terms
for the Vice-President.
Therefore:
A Vice-President can be re-elected.
The Vice-President continues in office:
Until the successor enters office
even after the expiry of the five-year term, where necessary.
Prevent a constitutional vacuum.
The Vice-President may resign by writing addressed to:
The President of India
President resigns to:
Vice-President
Vice-President resigns to:
President
The Vice-President is:
Not impeached
like the President.
Instead, the Vice-President may be removed through a:
Resolution of the Rajya Sabha
which must be:
Passed by a majority of all the then members of Rajya Sabha
and:
Agreed to by the Lok Sabha.
A resolution for removal cannot be moved unless:
At least 14 days' notice
has been given of the intention to move it.
Removal requires:
Rajya Sabha resolution
Lok Sabha agreement
14 days' notice
Impeachment
for:
Violation of the Constitution
Removal resolution
by:
Rajya Sabha
agreed to by:
Lok Sabha
Vice-President is not impeached.
The removal resolution is initiated in:
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha:
Passes resolution
↓
Lok Sabha:
Agrees
↓
Vice-President:
Removed
The Vice-President is:
Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Therefore the Constitution gives:
Rajya Sabha
the initiating role in removal.
Under:
Article 68
when the Vice-Presidential office becomes vacant due to:
an election is held:
As soon as possible after the vacancy occurs.
A crucial distinction from some other offices:
A person elected to fill a casual vacancy in the Vice-Presidential office:
Gets a full five-year term
from the date they enter office.
The ECI confirms this under Article 68(2).
When the normal five-year term is approaching its end:
Election is held before the expiry of the term
so that the successor can enter office appropriately.
The:
Election Commission of India
conducts the Vice-Presidential election under:
Article 324
and the relevant election law.
The ECI conducted the 2025 Vice-Presidential election under this constitutional mandate.
The election is governed by:
Primarily:
Articles 63–71
and:
along with:
Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974
Under:
Article 71
questions and disputes relating to the election of the Vice-President are decided by:
Supreme Court of India.
Supreme Court = final constitutional forum for Vice-Presidential election disputes.
| Member | Vote in Vice-Presidential Election? |
|---|---|
| Elected Lok Sabha MP | ✅ |
| Nominated Lok Sabha MP | ✅ |
| Elected Rajya Sabha MP | ✅ |
| Nominated Rajya Sabha MP | ✅ |
| State MLA | ❌ |
| State MLC | ❌ |
| Delhi MLA | ❌ |
| Puducherry MLA | ❌ |
| Ordinary citizen | ❌ |
All Members of Parliament vote; State Legislators do not.
| Feature | President | Vice-President |
|---|---|---|
| Election | Indirect | Indirect |
| Electoral College | Elected MPs + elected MLAs | All MPs |
| Nominated MPs | ❌ | ✅ |
| State MLAs | ✅ | ❌ |
| Delhi/Puducherry MLAs | ✅ | ❌ |
| Method | PR-STV | PR-STV |
| Ballot | Secret | Secret |
| MP vote value | Equal | Equal |
| MLA vote value | Weighted | Not applicable |
| Minimum age | 35 | 35 |
| Qualification | Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha |
| Term | 5 years | 5 years |
| Re-election | Allowed | Allowed |
| Removal | Impeachment | Rajya Sabha resolution + Lok Sabha agreement |
Includes:
Parliament + State Assemblies
Therefore:
Weighted votes
are required.
Includes only:
Parliament
Therefore:
Every elector has one vote.
Elected MPs
Elected MLAs
↓
Union + States
↓
President
All MPs
↓
Parliament
↓
Vice-President
The Presidential election has a federal electoral component; the Vice-Presidential election does not.
The Vice-President serves as:
Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
under:
Article 64
The Vice-President has a direct constitutional connection with:
The Council of States.
As Chairman of Rajya Sabha:
The Vice-President does not vote in the first instance.
However, in case of:
Equality of votes
the Chairman:
Exercises a casting vote.
Vice-President has a casting vote in Rajya Sabha, not an ordinary vote.
Under:
Article 65
the Vice-President acts as President when:
The Constitution distinguishes between:
When:
The office of President is vacant
and:
When:
The President is temporarily unable to perform functions.
While acting as or discharging the functions of President, the Vice-President:
Has the powers and immunities of the President
for that period.
The Vice-President is:
Not the constitutional successor to the President in the sense of completing the predecessor's term.
If the Presidency becomes vacant:
The Vice-President acts as President
until a new President enters office.
The new President receives:
A fresh five-year term.
↓
Vice-President:
Acts as President
↓
Presidential election:
Held within the constitutional time limit
↓
New President:
Enters office
↓
Vice-President:
Returns to Vice-Presidential role
subject to the constitutional situation.
Only MPs participate.
Every MP has one vote.
STV allows ranking.
Protects electoral freedom.
The office is integrated into the parliamentary structure.
Citizens do not directly elect the Vice-President.
State Legislatures have no direct role.
Although no whip applies, party numbers and political alliances strongly influence outcomes.
STV is more complex than FPTP.
The Vice-President primarily performs:
A parliamentary and constitutional role
as Chairman of Rajya Sabha and as a constitutional backup to the President.
Therefore the Constitution uses:
Parliamentary Electoral College
rather than:
Direct popular election.
Unlike the Presidential election:
States do not directly participate in the Vice-Presidential Electoral College.
The Vice-Presidential election is:
Parliament-centric
rather than:
Federal electoral-college based.
The electoral college consists entirely of:
Parliamentarians
so party strength in Parliament strongly affects the result.
Because voting is:
Secret
and:
No party whip applies
individual voting choices can differ from party preferences.
The election is:
Not treated as an ordinary legislative vote
for the purposes of party whip/anti-defection.
The electoral process preserves:
Individual choice through secret ballot.
NOTA is not provided
in the Vice-Presidential election.
Electors must express preferences among:
The contesting candidates
rather than choosing a NOTA option.
Proxy voting is not permitted.
The elector must cast the vote according to the prescribed procedure.
The ECI provides:
A particular pen
for marking the ballot.
Preferences must be marked:
In figures
rather than words.
The first preference is compulsory, while additional preferences are optional.
P = Parliament + Provinces/States
Elected MPs
Elected MLAs
VP = Very Parliament-centric
All MPs only.
Elected + Elected
Elected MPs
Elected MLAs
All MPs
Elected MPs
Nominated MPs
63 → Office
64 → Chairman Rajya Sabha
65 → Acts as President
66 → Election
67 → Term
68 → Vacancy
69 → Oath
71 → Election disputes
Only elected MPs vote for Vice-President.
❌ Incorrect.
Both elected and nominated MPs vote.
State MLAs vote for Vice-President.
❌ Incorrect.
No State legislators vote.
Vice-President is elected by elected MPs + elected MLAs.
❌ Incorrect.
That is:
Presidential Electoral College.
Nominated Rajya Sabha members cannot vote for Vice-President.
❌ Incorrect.
They can vote.
Vice-Presidential election uses weighted votes.
❌ Incorrect.
Every MP has one vote.
Vice-President is elected by FPTP.
❌ Incorrect.
PR-STV
Vice-President is elected by secret ballot.
✅ Correct.
Party whip applies to Vice-Presidential election.
❌ Incorrect.
Secret ballot + no whip.
Vice-President can be impeached like the President.
❌ Incorrect.
Removal procedure is different.
Vice-President is removed by the President.
❌ Incorrect.
Rajya Sabha resolution + Lok Sabha agreement.
Removal can begin in Lok Sabha.
❌ Incorrect.
It begins in:
Rajya Sabha.
Vice-President's casual replacement serves only the remaining term.
❌ Incorrect.
A person elected to fill a casual vacancy gets a fresh full five-year term.
Vice-President must qualify for Lok Sabha.
❌ Incorrect.
Must be qualified for Rajya Sabha.
Vice-President must be at least 30 years old.
❌ Incorrect.
35 years.
Vice-President is automatically the next President.
❌ Incorrect.
The Vice-President:
Acts as President
when required; a new President is elected.
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 2 and 3 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 2 and 3 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1 and 3 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 2 only
Consider the following statements:
Answer: 1, 3 and 4 only
| Article/Concept | Association |
|---|---|
| Article 63 | Vice-President |
| Article 64 | Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha |
| Article 65 | Acts as President |
| Article 66 | Election |
| Article 67 | Term |
| Article 68 | Vacancy |
| Article 69 | Oath |
| Article 71 | Election disputes |
| All MPs | Electoral College |
| Nominated MPs | Can vote |
| State MLAs | Cannot vote |
| PR-STV | Election method |
| Secret ballot | Voting method |
| One vote | Value of each MP's vote |
| 35 years | Minimum age |
| Rajya Sabha qualification | Eligibility |
| 5 years | Term |
| Rajya Sabha | Initiates removal |
| Lok Sabha | Agrees to removal |
| Supreme Court | Election disputes |
| Election Commission | Conducts election |
| Feature | Vice-Presidential Election |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Article | Article 66 |
| Nature | Indirect |
| Electoral College | Members of both Houses |
| Elected Lok Sabha MPs | Yes |
| Nominated Lok Sabha MPs | Yes |
| Elected Rajya Sabha MPs | Yes |
| Nominated Rajya Sabha MPs | Yes |
| State MLAs | No |
| State MLCs | No |
| Delhi MLAs | No |
| Puducherry MLAs | No |
| Method | PR-STV |
| Ballot | Secret |
| Vote value | 1 for every MP |
| Weighted votes | No |
| First preference | Compulsory |
| Other preferences | Optional |
| Party whip | No |
| NOTA | No |
| Proxy voting | No |
| Minimum age | 35 |
| Qualification | Rajya Sabha |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Term | 5 years |
| Re-election | Allowed |
| Resignation | To President |
| Removal | Rajya Sabha resolution + Lok Sabha agreement |
| Notice | 14 days |
| Impeachment | No |
| Election authority | Election Commission |
| Election dispute | Supreme Court |
| Rajya Sabha role | Ex-officio Chairman |
| Casting vote | Yes, in case of equality |
Vice-President
↓
Lok Sabha MPs
Rajya Sabha MPs
↓
Elected + Nominated
↓
↓
PR-STV
Secret Ballot
Equal Vote Value
↓
Citizen
35 years
Rajya Sabha qualification
No disqualifying office of profit
↓
5 years
↓
Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Acts as President when required
↓
Rajya Sabha
↓
Resolution
↓
Lok Sabha agreement
↓
Removal
| Point | President | Vice-President |
|---|---|---|
| Article | 54–55 | 66 |
| Electoral College | Elected MPs + elected MLAs | All MPs |
| Nominated MPs | ❌ | ✅ |
| State MLAs | ✅ | ❌ |
| Delhi/Puducherry MLAs | ✅ | ❌ |
| Vote value | Weighted | Equal |
| Method | PR-STV | PR-STV |
| Ballot | Secret | Secret |
| Party whip | No | No |
| Minimum age | 35 | 35 |
| Qualification | Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha |
| Term | 5 years | 5 years |
| Re-election | Yes | Yes |
| Removal | Impeachment | RS resolution + LS agreement |
| Special role | Constitutional head | Chairman of Rajya Sabha |
| Acting role | — | Acts as President |
| Election dispute | Supreme Court | Supreme Court |
Vice-President → Article 66
All Members of Parliament
Elected + Nominated MPs
All State Legislators
PR-STV
Secret
1 for every MP
No
Compulsory
Optional
No
No
No
35
Rajya Sabha
5 years
Allowed
To President
Rajya Sabha resolution + Lok Sabha agreement
14 days
Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Election Commission
Supreme Court
**The Vice-President of India is elected indirectly under Article 66 by an Electoral College consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament. This is the crucial distinction from the Presidential election: the Vice-Presidential Electoral College includes both elected and nominated MPs, while State Legislative Assembly members have no role. **
**The election is conducted through Proportional Representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote and secret ballot. Since every elector is an MP, each vote has an equal value of one; there is no weighted vote system as in the Presidential election. The first preference is compulsory, while additional preferences are optional. **
**The Vice-President must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha and free from a disqualifying office of profit. The term is five years and re-election is permitted. The Vice-President is not impeached; removal begins in the Rajya Sabha and requires a majority of all the then members of the Rajya Sabha followed by agreement of the Lok Sabha, with 14 days' notice. **
UPSC memory line: Vice-President = All MPs + PR-STV + Secret Ballot + Equal Vote Value + 35 Years + Rajya Sabha Qualification + RS Removal + LS Agreement.
