Who elects the President of India | Vice President of India | Government of India

The article covers the constitutional role of the Vice President of India, the manner of his/her election, his/her duties, and the rising importance of ensuring democratic balance and integrity in the parliament.

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
The new Vice President of India, elected, is Chandrapuram Ponnusamy (C. P.) Radhakrishnan. He overcame his opponent, Justice B. Sukshdarshan Reddy, in the Vice Presidential election on 9 September 2025 by a vote of 452; however, Reddy received 300 votes. This election was conducted because the erstwhile Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, resigned in July 2025 due to health reasons.

The position of the office of the Vice President of India lies centrally in the constitutional apex of the Republic as the second-senior executive office and an ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The office was created under Article 63 of the Constitution; it was meant to create continuity, balance, and institutional stability in the parliamentary system. Although taken to be traditional ceremonial roles, the role of the Vice President has some acute legislative duties, in presiding over the Upper House, and in the deliberative roles. The political process of election: the members of both Houses of Parliament vote indirectly- serves to stress the federal and representative nature of Indian democracy.In this article, we will look at the constitutional responsibility of the Vice President, the process of election, and eligibility peculiarities, and how the office has developed through the governing times. It further examines the importance of the office of the Vice President in ensuring the decorum of the parliament, providing constitutional protection when the President happens to be vacant, and, through scholarly and diplomatic affairs, participating in constitutionally important discourse. The article, tracing back the footsteps of previous occupiers, contextualizes the applicability of the role of the Vice Presidency in the Indian democratic structure, and it presents what can be deemed as the long-term institutional utility of the office and the possibility of forging constructive leadership using the office within the broader political ecosystem.

Historical Development and Constitutional Position of Vice President

Historical Development and Constitutional Position of Vice President

Constitutional foundation and Basis
The institution of the office of the Vice President has been enacted under Article 63 of the Indian constitution, which insists that it should exist as a petal of the Union Executive. In contrast to the President, whose role is mainly executive, both the Vice President and the President, in contrast to the President, serve a legislative role and have the power to serve as the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha under Article 64. This duality, symbolic power, and process of oversightposition the Vice President between constitutional governance at a very distinct point. The Vice President is placed second on the Order of Precedence, reflecting the institutional hierarchy of the position because of its significance within the institutional balance of the Republic.

Historical Background and Global Influence
This position is inspired by the American vice Presidency, which is a direct line of the President and the British parliamentary system that has a prescribing officer in the Upper House, and the executive separately. Nevertheless, the Indian model deviated with only the shortening of the powers of the executive and focusing on the legislative custodianship. The intellectual and non-partisan leadership led by the first Vice President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1952-1962), introduced a precedent on how the office of the Vice President was to be used as an arena of intellectual discussions and parliamentary etiquette.

Evolution through political transitions
Formed as a ceremonial post, the Vice Presidency became very visible during times of political change, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, when coalitional politics received greater emphasis. Vice Presidents such as R. Venkataraman and K. R. Narayanan had a very significant role to play in securing order in the Rajya Sabha as the ideological fragmentation increased. The interventions showed in the increased role of the Upper House of legislative scrutiny and federal concession, which led to increased power for the Vice President.

Relevance in the present and the persistence of institutions
Over the past few decades, though, the role of the Vice President has further changed to provide academic patronage, diplomatic representation, and guardianship of the Constitution when the President is not present (Article 65). It is still said that the office plays the role of a stabilizing force within the parliamentary democracy in India during the transition of power or in the absence of legislation. Its developmental turn highlights the move toward symbolic presence to substantive participation in government, thus constituting an ingredient in the constitutional fabric of this nuclear pole.

Election, Eligibility, and Tenure of Vice President of India

The Vice President of India is chosen in accordance with a constitutionally set out process that projects the ideals of representative democracy and institutional continuity. The integrity and stability are guaranteed by the eligibility criteria and the tenure.

Constitutional Basis and Electoral Process
Article 66 positions the Vice President as an elected person under an electoral college of members of the Houses of Parliament, which includes nominated members of the House. Unlike the Presidential elections, the members of the State Legislative Assemblies are not participants. Election is done by a secret ballot by use of proportional representation, consisting of single transferable vote (STV). The technique enables members of parliament to rank candidates in order of preference, which would guarantee a result as a consensus. The Election Commission of India conducts the process and appoints a Returning Officer who happens to be a member of either House and is tasked with overseeing the polling and counting process.

Qualifications to be a candidate
A candidate who wishes to be the candidate of the Vice Presidential election can do so by meeting some constitutional criteria. According to Article 66(3) and the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, it is required of the person to:

• Be a citizen of India
• Be at least 35 years of age
• Must qualify to be elected to the Rajya Sabha.
• Not hold any office of profit in the Government of India or any State Government.
• Also, nomination is only accepted through a minimum of 20 proposers and 20 seconders who must be Members of Parliament. It is also required to deposit a security depositofrupees 15,000 for candidature.

Conditions of Office and Tenure
Article 67 provides the Vice President a term of 5 years since he or she assumes the post. Nevertheless, the Constitution does not limit re-election and therefore gives the possibility of serving different terms to the incumbents. The tenure can be cut short because of resignation, removal by a resolution (when a majority of Rajya Sabha votes and the Lok Sabha votes), or it can also be discharged by death. Article 68 specifies that, in the event of a vacancy, there must be an election as early as possible (within six Months) to fill the position.

Institutional Significance
The issue of the formal process of the elections and high requirements of the necessary qualifications makes sure that the Vice President is a person of constitutional and parliamentary posterity. These continuity and accountability provisions pages maintain the story of the office in the Indian democratic structure.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Vice President of India has a constitutionally positioned role that plays an executive-legislative role. The office has substantive duties that play an important role in the running of parliament, although most people consider it as ceremonial.

Legislative authority as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Article 64 of the Constitution of India provides that the Vice President is the ex officio Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha. The Vice President is in this position to conduct debates, ensure procedural discipline, and oversee legislative debate. The Vice President does not vote on bills, but casts a vote in the event of a tie, like the elected members. This position requires no partisanship, constitutional knowledge, and others facilitating party-party work in fiercely divided sessions. Procedural rules are also interpreted by the Chairman, as well as adjudicating on the points of order hence creating a constructive debate in the parliament.

Acting President in the Constitutional Vacancy
Article 65 provides that the Vice-President has the power to hold the position of the acting President in the event that the office of the President has been vacated because of death, resignation, removal, or incapacity. Whenever there is an interim period, i.e., a maximum of six months, the Vice President discharges all presidential powers, summoning Parliament, assenting to bills, or superintendence of emergency powers,but the Vice President, during the period of his tenure as the Acting President, handover the duties of the Rajya Sabha to the Deputy Chairman. The significance of the Vice President as a contingency position in bringing about executive survival and constitutional security is highlighted in this contingency role.

Ceremonial, Educational, and Diplomatic Engagement
In addition to the constitutional mandates, the Vice President more often accompanies India in the academic forums, international conferences, and state activities. The officeholder presents keynote speeches in universities, chairs cultural programs, and consults with the civil society in issues of national concern. These activities reflect the moral and intellectual aspect of the Vice President, which usually draws on academic experience, such examplesare Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr. Zakir Husain.

Preserver of Parliamentary Ethics
The Vice President also makes a non-diagnostic but important contribution towards maintaining parliamentary ethics and democratic standards. In their role as Chairman, they preside over measures of discipline pursuing the Anti-Defection Law, decide on disqualification requests, and maintain order during discussion. With trends of political polarization, the reputation of the institutions can respond well only when the Vice President remains neutral and contributes through constructive discussions across the ideologically opposing groups.

Significance and Modern Elaboration

In the current political arena, the Vice President of India is considered to be the key actor towards constant constitutional balance, law, integrity, and continuity of democracy.

Institutional Significance
By being the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President maintains procedural discipline and impartiality in the legislative debates. This position comes particularly in an age of coalition politics and divided mandates, where tact and easing of the path are important. The skill of the Vice President in interpreting rules, controlling disturbances, and conducting deliberations will directly be linked to the excellence of parliamentary administration.

Governance Continuity and Crisis Management
The second in line of succession to the President is the Vice President and available to fill in momentarily in office in case of death, resignation, or removal as provided by Article 65. This contingency post is not figurative in manner, rather,it has the real guarantee of continuity of the executive and constitutional order in times of transition. During the politically unstable situations, the neutrality and compliance with constitutional norms of the Vice President are critical towards the stability of the institution.

Public Engagement and Diplomacy
Vice Presidents have, in recent years, acquired a wider range of duties beyond the legislature, including involvement in universities, think tanks, and international conferences. Such activities signify the changing character of the office as an intellectual leadership and soft diplomacy office. Raising national concerns, i.e. education, morality, and inclusive development, the Vice President helps to shape popular discussions and policy orientation.

Relevance in Democratic Ethics
The role of the Vice President in maintaining democratic ethics has become more prominent as polarization and procedural disturbances have become the order of the day. The Vice President serving as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha presides as a judge on the issue of disqualification by the Anti-Defection Law and ensures that the debate is constructive and good. Under this role, the office is a constitutional check-rail of erosion of parliamentary norms, reinforcement of the values of accountability and deliberative democracy.

Conclusion

To sum up, there is a constitutional position of the Vice President of India that belongs to the democratic structure of the Republic but remains largely underestimated. As the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and the direct successor to the President in office, it represents the continuity of the executive legitimisation, as well as the legislative optimisation. The proportional representative style of election guarantees institutional legitimacy, whereas the standard of constitutional integrity is enforced through the eligibility requirements of the elective process. The Vice Presidency has also been historically influenced by intellectual leadership and changed political dynamics, whereby the position has turned out to be less ceremonial and more substantive in terms of parliamentary ethics, the handling of crises, and citizen engagement. In an era where political complexity and democratic issues are on the rise, impartiality, procedural powers, and symbolic presence of the Vice President play critical roles in the operation of the constitutional democracy of India. The office still plays the role of a balancing factor, and it strengthens the norms of deliberation, accountability, and institutional strength on which the Indian parliamentary system is based.