Why in News
- C.P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra and NDA nominee, was elected as the 17th Vice-President of India (2025).
- He secured 452 first-preference votes, defeating the joint Opposition candidate Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, who got 300 votes.
- 98.2% turnout of the electoral college; cross-voting noted from the Opposition camp.
Relevance: GS II (Polity – Constitution, Executive, Parliament, President & Vice-President, Electoral processes, Articles 63–66, Judicial review)
Vice-President of India
- Constitutional Provision:
- Article 63: There shall be a Vice-President of India.
- Article 64: Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
- Article 65: Acts as President in case of vacancy, resignation, removal, or absence.
- Election Process (Article 66):
- Elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament (nominated members included).
- Proportional Representation by means of Single Transferable Vote (STV); election held by secret ballot.
- Value of vote is equal for all MPs (unlike Presidential election where vote value differs).
- Eligibility (Article 66 & 84):
- Citizen of India.
- At least 35 years old.
- Qualified for election as a member of Rajya Sabha.
- Not hold any office of profit.
- Term & Removal:
- Term: 5 years, eligible for re-election.
- Can resign to the President or be removed by a resolution of Rajya Sabha (effective if agreed by Lok Sabha).
Comparative Dimension
- First Vice-President: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1952–1962).
- Longest-serving VP: Hamid Ansari (2007–2017).
- Precedent: Several Vice-Presidents (Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Husain, V.V. Giri, R. Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K.R. Narayanan) later became Presidents.
Static Knowledge
- Vice-President vs Speaker of Lok Sabha:
- VP: Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha, elected by both Houses, does not vote except in case of tie.
- Speaker: Elected only by Lok Sabha members, has casting vote in case of tie.
- Removal Procedure Difference:
- VP can be removed only by Rajya Sabha resolution agreed by Lok Sabha.
- President can be impeached by both Houses with 2/3rd majority.
- Important Case Law:
- Mohd. Akbar vs Union of India (1969): VP’s election disputes are subject to judicial review by the Supreme Court.
