Vice President of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of

1. The Union Executive: An Overview (basic)

To understand the Office of the Vice-President, we must first look at the larger machinery it belongs to: the Union Executive. In a parliamentary democracy like India, the government is divided into three branches: the Legislature (which makes laws), the Judiciary (which interprets laws), and the Executive (which implements laws). The Union Executive is the high-level body responsible for the day-to-day administration of the country at the central level.

According to the Constitution of India, the provisions relating to the Union Executive are found in Part V, spanning from Articles 52 to 78 Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, President, p.186. It is crucial for you to remember exactly who constitutes this group. Many students mistakenly include the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or exclude the Attorney General, but the Union Executive consists of only five specific components:

• The President: The ceremonial head of the state and the first citizen.
• The Vice-President: The second-highest constitutional office in the country.
• The Prime Minister: The head of the government and the real executive authority.
• The Council of Ministers: The body of ministers that aids and advises the President.
• The Attorney General of India: The chief legal advisor to the government.

India follows a parliamentary system where there is a distinction between the nominal head and the real head. While all executive actions are formally taken in the name of the President, the actual power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers NCERT Class VIII, The Parliamentary System, p.156. The Vice-President occupies a unique position within this structure, standing second in the order of precedence and serving as a bridge between the Executive and the Legislature (as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha).

Feature	Nominal Executive (De Jure)	Real Executive (De Facto)
Entity	The President	The Prime Minister & Council
Role	Symbol of unity and integrity	Actual administration and policy-making

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, President, p.186; Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025), The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive, p.156

2. Election of the President: The Benchmark (intermediate)

To master the concept of the Vice-President's election, we must first look at the President's election as our benchmark. While both are indirect elections (meaning the people don't vote directly), the composition of who gets to vote—the Electoral College—is quite different. For the President, the goal is to reflect the federal structure of India; therefore, only elected members of both Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies participate Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 17: President, p.186.

According to Article 66, the Vice-President's electoral college is specialized. It differs from the President’s in two vital ways:

• Inclusion: It includes both elected and nominated members of Parliament (whereas the President's college excludes nominated members).
• Exclusion: It excludes the members of State Legislative Assemblies (whereas the President's college includes elected members from the states) Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19: Vice-President, p.203.

This means the Vice-President is elected solely by the total membership of Parliament—the 543 members of the Lok Sabha and the 245 members of the Rajya Sabha (including the 12 nominated experts).

Regarding the manner of election, the two offices are identical. Both use the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (STV) via secret ballot Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p.205. If any legal cloud hangs over the election, the Supreme Court has the final word. Interestingly, an election cannot be challenged simply because there were vacancies in the electoral college at the time of voting Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19: Vice-President, p.203.

Feature	President's Electoral College	Vice-President's Electoral College
Parliament (MPs)	Only Elected members	All (Elected + Nominated)
State Assemblies (MLAs)	Included (Elected only)	Excluded entirely

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 17: President, p.186; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19: Vice-President, p.203; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p.205

3. Constitutional Position of the Vice-President (basic)

The office of the Vice-President of India occupies the second highest office in the country, placed immediately below the President in the official Table of Precedence Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.213. This office was primarily created to maintain political continuity in the Indian State, ensuring there is no 'vacuum' in the head of state's functions should the Presidency fall vacant Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.206. While the Indian Constitution (Article 63) creates the office, it assigns the Vice-President a dual role: as the Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64) and as a 'President-in-waiting' who acts as the President during casual vacancies or absence (Article 65).

A defining aspect of this constitutional position is how the holder is chosen. According to Article 66, the Vice-President is elected by an electoral college that is distinct from the President's. Unlike the President's election, the Vice-President is elected by the entire membership of both Houses of Parliament. This includes both the elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Crucially, members of State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) are excluded from this process Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.203. The election is held through the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote via secret ballot, managed by the Election Commission of India.

Feature	President's Electoral College	Vice-President's Electoral College
Composition	Elected members of Parliament + Elected members of State Assemblies (MLAs)	Both Elected and Nominated members of Parliament (MPs) only
State Participation	Included (MLAs of States, Delhi, and Puducherry)	Excluded (States have no role in the election)
Nominated Members	Excluded	Included

It is important to note that while the Indian Vice-President's office is modeled after the American Vice-President, there is a significant difference: the Indian Vice-President does not automatically assume the office of the President for the remaining unexpired term when it falls vacant. Instead, they only 'act' as President until a new President is elected and enters upon their office Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.207.

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19: Vice-President, p.203, 206, 207, 213; NCERT Class VIII: Exploring Society, Chapter 5: Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System, p.137

4. Dual Role: Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha (intermediate)

In the Indian constitutional scheme, the Vice-President (VP) wears two distinct hats, a concept known as a dual role. The first role is that of the second-highest dignitary in the land, following the President. However, the day-to-day functional role of the VP is actually as the Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The term 'ex-officio' is Latin for 'by virtue of the office.' This means that the moment a person is elected as the Vice-President, they automatically become the presiding officer of the Upper House without any separate election or appointment for that post Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Vice-President, p.206.

As the Chairman, the Vice-President serves as the guardian of the powers and privileges of the Rajya Sabha. Their functions and powers within the House are remarkably similar to those of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha. They maintain order, interpret the rules of the House, and have the power of a casting vote in the event of a tie. Interestingly, this model is borrowed from the American Constitution, where the Vice-President of the USA also serves as the President of the Senate Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.233.

However, there is a critical constitutional 'switch' that occurs under specific circumstances. According to Article 65, if the Vice-President is required to act as the President (due to a vacancy caused by death, resignation, or removal) or discharge the President's functions (due to absence or illness), they cease to perform the duties of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p.207. During such a period, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha takes over the presiding duties, and the Vice-President is entitled to the salary and allowances of the President of India, rather than those of the Chairman.

Feature	Role as Vice-President	Role as Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Nature	Executive (Second Citizen)	Legislative (Presiding Officer)
Removal	Removed by a resolution of Rajya Sabha agreed to by Lok Sabha.	Cannot be removed from the Chair unless removed from the office of VP.
When acting as President	Assumes all powers/emoluments of the President.	Duties are performed by the Deputy Chairman.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Vice-President, p.206; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.233; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p.207

5. Indian vs. American Vice-President (exam-level)

While the office of the Indian Vice-President is largely modeled on the American Vice-President, the two roles differ fundamentally in how they handle a vacancy in the highest office. In the United States, if the Presidency falls vacant due to death, resignation, or removal, the Vice-President succeeds to the Presidency and remains in that office for the entire unexpired term of their predecessor Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 19, p.206. This makes the American Vice-President a true 'President-in-waiting' with a guaranteed path to the full executive powers for the remainder of the four-year term. In contrast, the Indian Vice-President follows a more restricted path. When the office of the President falls vacant in India, the Vice-President does not become the President for the rest of the term. Instead, they merely act as President as a stop-gap arrangement until a new President is elected—a process that must be completed within six months Indian Constitution at Work, Class XI NCERT, Chapter 4, p.88. Because the Indian Constitution does not assign any significant, independent executive functions to the Vice-President beyond presiding over the Rajya Sabha, some constitutional scholars have famously referred to the office as 'His Superfluous Highness' Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 19, p.206.

Feature	Indian Vice-President	American Vice-President
Succession	Acts as President temporarily until a new election is held.	Succeeds to the Presidency for the full remainder of the term.
Legislative Role	Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.	Ex-officio President (Chairman) of the Senate.
Max. 'Acting' Period	Maximum 6 months (until new elections).	Can be years (the entire unexpired term).

This distinction exists because India follows a parliamentary system where the President is a formal head of state, whereas the U.S. follows a presidential system where the President is the actual head of the executive Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, Chapter 11, p.230. Therefore, the continuity of the 'unexpired term' is vital in the American model but less critical in the Indian model where the Prime Minister holds the real executive power.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 19: Vice-President, p.206; Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.), Chapter 4: Executive, p.88; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, Chapter 11: The Union Executive, p.230

6. Electoral College of the Vice-President (Article 66) (exam-level)

In the Indian constitutional framework, the Vice-President is not elected directly by the people. Instead, the Constitution provides for an indirect election through a specific body known as the Electoral College, as detailed under Article 66. This mechanism ensures that the Vice-President, who primarily serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has the support of the national legislature.

While the process might seem similar to the President's election, there are two fundamental distinctions you must master for the exam. First, the Vice-President's electoral college includes both elected and nominated members of both Houses of Parliament. Second, it entirely excludes members of the State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs). The rationale behind this difference is that while the President is the Head of State and requires the mandate of the entire Union (including states), the Vice-President's normal functions are largely confined to presiding over the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.203.

Feature	Presidential Electoral College	Vice-Presidential Electoral College
Parliament Members	Only Elected members	Both Elected & Nominated members
State Legislatures	Elected members included	Completely excluded

The election is conducted by the Election Commission of India using the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (STV) through a secret ballot Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 5, p.137. To ensure only serious candidates apply, the law requires a candidate's nomination to be subscribed by at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders, along with a security deposit of ₹15,000 Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 42, p.584. Finally, if any dispute arises regarding the election, it is exclusively decided by the Supreme Court, and its decision is final Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19, p.203.

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 19: Vice President, p.203; Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Class VIII NCERT, Chapter 5: Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System, p.137; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 71: Electoral Reforms, p.584

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

Now that you have mastered the foundational concepts of the Union Executive, this question serves as a perfect test of your ability to differentiate between the constitutional roles of the two highest offices. As explained in Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, the Vice-President of India is elected via an electoral college defined by Article 66. The key building block here is understanding that while the President represents both the Union and the States, the Vice-President primarily functions as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Consequently, the election process is confined to the Union Parliament, ensuring the candidate has the support of the entire national legislature.

To arrive at the correct answer, you must apply the "Two Key Differences" rule that separates the Vice-President’s election from the President’s. First, unlike the President, the Vice-President’s electoral college includes both elected and nominated members of Parliament. Second, it excludes members of State Legislative Assemblies. Therefore, when you look at the options, (A) members of both houses of Parliament is the only choice that correctly captures the full composition, including the 543 members of the Lok Sabha and all 245 members (both elected and nominated) of the Rajya Sabha as noted in NCERT Class VIII: Exploring Society.

UPSC frequently uses "elected members" as a decoy to trigger your memory of the Presidential election. Option (C) is the most common trap; students often forget that nominated members have a right to vote for the Vice-President even though they are excluded from the Presidential ballot. Options (B) and (D) are distractors that suggest a single-house involvement, which contradicts the federal necessity for the entire Parliament to participate in choosing the person who may, in certain contingencies, act as the Head of the State.