Vice President

Vice President

The second-highest constitutional position in the Union Executive belongs to the Vice President of India. In the absence of the President, the Vice President represent the nation. They take charge as the acting President in case the President resigns, is impeached or removed from office.

Similar to the President, the Vice President also serves in a dual capacity under both, the parliament and the legislature. Their key legislative function is to serve as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and they are responsible for presiding over meetings of Rajya Sabha.

The appointment of the Vice President is done indirectly through the members of an electoral college comprising members of both the houses of the parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. The voting process is done through a secret ballot. To qualify, one has to be a citizen of India and can not be less than 35 years old. They should also be eligible for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha. A Vice President serves a 5 year term in office and they can be re-elected.