Vice President of India

Vice President of India; the Dignified and Promising Post

This is a dignified post in Indian administration after President of India.The wise and talented persons like Dr. Radhakrishnan, VV Giri, Hidayetulla (former Chief Justice) have increased the dignity of this post. Dr. Radhakrishnan, VV Giri, Jakir Hosen, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma were elected the presidents of India hereafter from those posts of Vice Presidents of India.The post of Vice-President of India is not a trifle post.He has as much importance as the President of India in several matters.

Some Relevant Facts of Vice Presidents of India

The first Vice President of independent India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected in 1952.There has no example of Vice President who was dismissed before expiration.The former Vice Presidents of India K R Narayanan, Shankar Dayal Sharma, R Venkataraman, V V Giri, Zakir Hussain and Dr. S Radhakrishnan were elected as Presidents at different times.The present Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari is a scholar.There are two instances of Vice Presidents who were re-elected in the election of Vice President of India.One is the great Radha Krishnan and the other is the present Vice President Hamid Ansari.

The present Vice President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari has been serving his duty as the Vice President of India since 11th August 2007. He has shown his brilliance in several fields like Indian Foreign Service etc.He was the Chief of Indian Missions in UAE, Australia, Afghanistan,Iran,Saudi Arab from 1976 to 1999,Chief of Protocol in from 1980 to 1985, Permanent Representative to UN from 1993 to 1995,Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University from 2000 to 2002 ,member of National Security Advisory Board from 2004 to 2006, Chairman of National Commission for Minorities from March,2006 to July,2007, recipient of Padma Shri in 1984. Thus to be a Vice President of India one need to struggle in his life.To be the Vice President he needs to be excellent.

Qualification for a Would-be Vice President

Criteria

He is an Indian Citizen.He should have eligibility to be elected in RajyaSabha.He will not be appointed in any Post of Profit either in Central Government or State Government or in local Authority possessed by Government.This is not in the case of a candidate who is either a Vice President or a Governor of a State at present.The Vice President who is elected either by Parliament or State Assembly must resign to his former membership before taking oath in the present post.He is at least 35 years of age.Would-be Vice-President requires at least 20 M.P.s or Members of Parliament as proposers and at least 20 M.P.s or Members of Parliament as seconders.Would-be Vice-President requires keeping a security deposit of Rs.15,000/-.If a candidate fails to obtain one-sixth of the total votes, he will not be given back his security deposit.

Tell

1/2Who was awarded Padma Shri?

 Michael Jack

Or,

 Mr. Hamid Ansari

Election Process for the Vice President of India

Indian Constitution attributes the post of Returning Officer to either the General Secretary of Loksabha House of the People or the General Secretary of Rajya sabha or Council of States. This title is attributed by rotation. The Returning Officer in 2011 was from Loksabha. Then he gives notice inviting nominations. Within due date and time nominations are filed in a proper manner. We should know that only the members from Loksabha and Rajya sabha are eligible to vote for the election of the Vice President. Unlike the election in the case of the President of India, the members of legislatures or Members of Legislative Assemblies can cast their votes. The Election Commission of India appoints two senior secretariats for the assistance of the Returning Officer. Then a date is fixed for casting votes and publication of result. In this vote, there are some special features to affirm the election and its success. Among these feature preferences and quota are prominent. An elector can vote to indicate definite numeric figures such as 1,2,3,4 etc beside the names of contesting candidates on ballot papers. After that counting process comes. After eliminating the cancelled ballots, the votes are counted according to the first choice. If someone gets the quota, he will be declared the winner. But if one fails to obtain the quota, counting will be going on eliminating the candidate with least votes. His votes will be computed as per to take the second preferences from those ballots. Among these votes, the second preferences will be added to the definite candidates to whom the votes of the electors have been credited to. Thus eliminations and exclusions will continue till one obtains the quota. If no one gets the quota , the last remaining candidate will be crowned.

Procedure of Vice-President's Election

This is an interesting process by which the Vice President is elected in India.Vice President of India is elected indirectly by an Electoral College through proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote, not as the President.

Tenure, Salary, Dismissal or Resignation

Tenure

A Vice President is termed for 5 years.He is assigned to his post for five years.Before his tenure, he can resign to the post.If a situation arises, he may be removed from his office before the scheduled time.

Salary

Presently the Vice President of India is given the salary of 1,25,000 INR.He does not have any special privileges except the salary as in the case of the President.He is only given such advantages when he takes the responsibility of the President in the absence of the President. He is not given any lodging, unlike the President who lives at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during his tenure.According to the Vice President’s Pension Act of 1997, the Vice President is given half of the salary at the time of his retirement from the office as the pension. It was not written in Constitution.

Dismissal/Removal

Vice President can be dismissed before the date or he can resign from the post.For such dismissal, parliament will have given a notice for 14 days in Rajya Sabha.If this application is accepted by majority in Rajya Sabha, it must be granted in Lok Sabha to reject the Vice President.He can submit his resignation to the President of India.Supreme Court can look into the debate created by the election, resignation, and dismissal.Vice President of India is elected indirectly by an Electoral College through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote similarly as in the case of the President of India.

Function and Duty of vice-President of India

Vice President of India is next to President of India in rank. He is the Chairman of Rajya sabha ex officio. In the absence of the President, Vice President will be employed temporarily in the post of the President. Death, dismissal, resignation of the President will permit the Vice President to take the full responsibility as the President of India as long as a new President is not elected. He will act as the temporary President if the present President is absent or ill or unable to work due to some reasons.