Overview
Previous Year UPSC-CSE Questions By the end you will be able to draft model answers for the following UPSC questions. Each question carries a collapsible framework showing how to approach it in the exam.
- UPSC Mains 2022 GS-IIDiscuss the role of the Vice-President of India as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
How to structure the answer in the exam
Introduction: Open with Article 64 making the Vice President the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Body (sub-themes to develop):
- Constitutional basis: Article 64 and the presiding role.
- Powers: maintaining order, ruling on admissibility, deciding points of order.
- Duty of neutrality and protecting the rights of members.
- Limits: the Chair does not vote except a casting vote in a tie.
- Balancing impartiality with the authority to run a divided House.
Conclusion: Conclude that the role demands both firmness and impartiality to uphold the dignity of the Upper House.
The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the country, provided for by Article 63 of the Constitution. Under Article 64, the Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and under Article 65 acts as President when that office falls vacant. The Vice President is elected by the members of both Houses of Parliament under Article 66, holds office for a term of five years, and may be removed only through a resolution of the Rajya Sabha agreed to by the Lok Sabha.
What the office of Vice President is
The second-highest constitutional office
The Vice President of India is created by Article 63 of the Constitution and is the second-highest constitutional office, after the President. The post draws on the model of the Vice President of the United States.
The Vice President performs two distinct roles: ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha under Article 64, and acting President under Article 65 when the highest office falls vacant or the President cannot act.
The office is governed by Articles 63 to 71, which cover its creation, election, term, removal, the oath, and the settlement of election disputes by the Supreme Court.
The defining features of the office are:
- Creation: provided for by Article 63 of the Constitution.
- In Parliament: ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64).
- In the Executive: acts as President in a vacancy (Article 65).
- Election: by the members of both Houses of Parliament (Article 66).
Why the office matters
A bridge between Parliament and the Executive
The Vice President is the only constitutional functionary who sits at the junction of two organs of state, presiding over a House of Parliament while standing ready to step into the Executive's highest office.
If the office of President falls vacant through death, resignation or removal, the Vice President acts as President until a new one is elected, so the headship of state never lapses.
As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President steers debate, rules on points of order and protects the rights of the Upper House, which makes the office central to parliamentary functioning.
What the office signifies
Continuity, neutrality and the Upper House
Three threads carry the weight: continuity of the headship of state, the neutrality expected of the Rajya Sabha Chair, and the protection of the Upper House.
First, continuity. By acting as President in a vacancy, the Vice President ensures the highest office is never left empty, which steadies the constitutional order at a sensitive moment.
Second, neutrality. As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President is expected to preside impartially, rising above party lines to protect fair debate.
Third, the Upper House. The Chairman safeguards the deliberative role of the Rajya Sabha as the council of states, balancing the directly elected Lok Sabha.
Election, qualifications and removal
The office at a glance
The table sets out the key provisions, so the article numbers and rules of the office are visible at a glance.
| Provision | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creation | Article 63: there shall be a Vice President of India |
| Role in Parliament | Article 64: ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha |
| Acts as President | Article 65: in a vacancy in the office of President |
| Election | Article 66: by members of both Houses of Parliament |
| Term and removal | Article 67: five years; removed by a Rajya Sabha resolution |
Three features that define the office
Three rules set the Vice President's office apart from the President's:
- (i) A narrower electoral college. Only the members of both Houses of Parliament vote, including nominated members; no state legislators take part.
- (ii) Clear qualifications. A candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha, and hold no office of profit.
- (iii) Removal begins in the Rajya Sabha. A resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Rajya Sabha, and agreed to by the Lok Sabha, removes the Vice President.
How the office works in practice
Three things the Vice President does
The constitutional design shows up in three regular functions of the office.
- (a) Presides over the Rajya Sabha. The Vice President chairs sittings, maintains order, and decides questions of admissibility in the Upper House.
- (b) Steps in for the President. On a vacancy, the Vice President discharges the President’s functions until a new President is elected.
- (c) Takes the oath. Before entering office the Vice President makes an oath or affirmation before the President, under Article 69.
While acting as President, the Vice President does not perform the duties of Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, so the two roles are not exercised at the same time.
Succession, the President and parliamentary practice
Where the office connects in the wider system
The office connects to presidential succession, because the Vice President is the first to act when the President's office falls vacant, holding it until a fresh election is held.
It connects to the Rajya Sabha, whose deliberations the Vice President steers as Chairman, distinct from the Speaker who presides over the Lok Sabha.
It also connects to electoral law, since disputes about the election of the Vice President are decided by the Supreme Court under Article 71.
UPSC relevance and exam focus
Where this fits in the UPSC-CSE syllabus
This topic maps to General Studies Paper II: the Indian Constitution and the functions of the Union executive and Parliament, and is a staple of Prelims polity.
For Prelims, hold the high-yield facts: the article numbers, the electoral college, the qualifications, the term, and the removal procedure.
For Mains, the recurring framing is the role of the Vice President as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the balance between neutrality and authority.
Recurring linked concepts an aspirant should keep in working memory:
- Articles 63 to 71: creation, election, term, removal, oath and disputes.
- Electoral college: both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members.
- Removal: begins in the Rajya Sabha, agreed to by the Lok Sabha.
- President link: the Vice President acts as President in a vacancy.
The Vice President's electoral college does not include state legislators, unlike the President's; but it does include nominated members of Parliament. Reversing this is a frequent error.
Do not reduce the office to a ceremonial chair. A balanced answer weighs the Chairman's duty of neutrality against the demands of running a divided House.
Prelims MCQ practice
Each question below tests one specific concept on the topic. Click to reveal the answer and a full option-wise explanation.
Q1. With reference to the Vice President of India, consider the following statements:
- The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
- The Vice President acts as President when that office falls vacant.
- The office is provided for by Article 63 of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Explanation.
All three are correct. The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64), acts as President in a vacancy (Article 65), and the office is created by Article 63. Hence 1, 2 and 3.
Q2. Consider the following about the electoral college that elects the Vice President of India:
- It consists of the members of both Houses of Parliament.
- It includes the nominated members of Parliament.
- It includes the elected members of state legislative assemblies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Explanation.
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Vice President is elected by the members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members. Statement 3 is wrong because state legislators do not vote in the Vice President's election, unlike the President's. Hence 1 and 2 only.
Q3. Under which Article is the Vice President of India the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
- Article 63
- Article 64
- Article 66
- Article 67
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Article 64
Explanation.
Option (b) is correct. Article 64 makes the Vice President the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Article 63 creates the office, Article 66 governs election, and Article 67 the term and removal. Hence option (b).
Q4. Which one of the following is NOT a qualification to be elected Vice President of India?
- Being a citizen of India
- Having completed 35 years of age
- Being qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha
- Being a sitting member of a state legislative assembly
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Being a sitting member of a state legislative assembly
Explanation.
Option (d) is correct as the exception. A candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, and qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha. Membership of a state legislative assembly is not a qualification. Hence option (d).
Q5. How can the Vice President of India be removed from office?
- By a resolution of the Lok Sabha alone
- By an order of the Supreme Court
- By a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by a majority of all its then members and agreed to by the Lok Sabha
- By the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers
Show answer and explanation
Answer: By a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by a majority of all its then members and agreed to by the Lok Sabha
Explanation.
Option (c) is correct. Removal begins only in the Rajya Sabha, with a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members, which the Lok Sabha must then agree to. The other routes are not provided for. Hence option (c).
Q6. For how long can the Vice President act as President when that office falls vacant?
- Until a new President is elected, within a maximum of six months
- For the full remaining term of the previous President
- For exactly one year
- For five years
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Until a new President is elected, within a maximum of six months
Explanation.
Option (a) is correct. The Vice President acts as President only until a new President is elected, which must happen within six months of the vacancy. Hence option (a).
Sources and Further Reading
- Constitution of India: The Executive (the President and Vice-President), Articles 52-73
- Rajya Sabha Secretariat: Vice-President of India as ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
- India Code: The Constitution of India (Articles 63 to 71)
- Election Commission of India: Election to the Office of the Vice-President
- Wikipedia: Vice President of India
- Wikipedia: President of India (electoral college, for contrast)
- Rajya Sabha: Council of States, role and composition
- National Portal of India: The Constitution of India
Editorial Disclaimer
This article explains the office of the Vice President of India for UPSC preparation. The facts are drawn from the Constitution of India and the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. It is an explainer, not a substitute for the bare text of the Constitution.
