The Vice President of India is the second highest position in the country. The Indian Vice-President office is modeled in the lines of American Vice-President. But we cannot expect the equal powers and functions of American Vice-President.

Indian Polity Notes – Video

If you are too bored to read the entire theory part, then go with this Indian Polity Notes – Video Below.

The Vice President Of India

Election Format

The Vice President election will be conducted in the same manner like President.
The system of proportional representation by many of single transferable vote and voting will be conducted through the method of the secret ballot.

Who will vote

For the vice president election both the elected and nominated members of Parliament which is called as the electoral college will vote.

Comparing with President election

But in case of President only elected members of Parliament to have the right to vote.
And also in the case of President, the members of state legislative assemblies will vote.

Qualifications to become a Vice-President

He should (must) be a citizen of India.
He should have completed 35 years of age.
He should be Qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
He should not hold any office of Profit under the state (or) union (or) any local (or) any public authority.

The nomination of a Vice-President candidate should be subscribed by at least 20 electors as proposers and 20 electors as seconders.
Every Vice-President candidate has to pay a deposit of Rs.15,000/- in the Reserve Bank of India.

Vice-President condition of office

The Indian constitution said two conditions for the office of Vice-President.

While entering into his office of Vice-President, he should not a member of either house of parliament (or) a state legislative. If any such person elected as Vice-President, then he should vacate his seat in the house on the date on which he enters upon his office as Vice-President.
He should not hold any other office of Profit.

Vice-President – the term of office

He can hold the office of Vice-President for the term 5 years.
However, he has full rights to resign from his position by addressing his resignation to the President of India.

Removal

He can be removed from the office before his term completion by impeachment.
Passing a resolution in the Rajya Sabha with a majority of the total members of the house and agreed by Lok-sabha will remove the Vice-President from his office.

Excess term

Vice-President can hold the office beyond his term period of five years until his successor assumes the office.
Indian vice-president is eligible for the re-election to that office.
There is no lap for his election attempt. He can be elected for any number of times.

Vice-President office vacancy

The Vice-President office can occur vacancy in any of the following ways.

On the expiry of the term of 5 years.
By resignation
On his removal
By his death
Otherwise, disqualified by his election is declared void.

In any of the above reason, the Vice-President office should not be vacant above six months.
It should be filled as soon as the office goes vacant.
If the vacancy is going to be caused by the expiration of sitting Vice – President, then the election to fill the vacancy must be held before the expiration of term.

Powers and function of Vice-President

He will act as the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. In this capacity, his powers and functions are equivalent to the speaker of Lok Sabha.
In that case, he resembles the Vice-President of America, who also acts as the chairman of the Senate the upper house of American legislature.
He also acts as the President, if there is any sudden vacancy in the office of President.
While he acting as the President, he will not discharge the duties of chairman of RajySabhaha. These duties will be hand-over to the deputy chairman of Rajya sabha.