Vice Presidents of India: In the Article 63 of Indian Constitution states that “there shall be a Vice-President of India. Vice-President of India acts as the President in the absence of the incumbent President, and is the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. He does not hold membership of any political party or any other office of profit.
The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college. Only the Members of both Houses of Parliament (MPs) from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are eligible to vote. Vice-President is elected for 5 years and is eligible for immediate re- election. However he can be terminated before his tenure through these methods:
- Resignation to be addressed to the President
- Removal- by a resolution of the council of states passed by the majority of its members and agreed to by the Lok Sabha.
Eligibility Criteria for Vice President of India
- The qualifications needed to become a Vice President of India are the following:
- He or she must be a citizen of India.
- He or she must be over 35 years of age.
- He or she must not hold any office of profit.
- He or she must be qualified for election as a Member of the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States.
The salary of Vice President is Rs 1,25,000 per month. However, when the Vice President performs the functions of the President or discharges, he is entitled to the salary as well as special privileges of the President. The Vice-President’s official residence is No. 6, Maulana Azad Road, off Janpath in New Delhi.
List of all Vice Presidents of India from 1952 to 2019
| Name | Tenure |
| Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) | 1952-1962 |
| Dr Zakir Hussain (1897-1969) | 1962-1967 |
| Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980) | 1967-1969 |
| Gopal Swarup Pathak (1896-1982) | 1969-1974 |
| B.D. Jatti (1913-2002) | 1974-1979 |
| Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905-1992) | 1979-1984 |
| R. Venkataraman (B-1910) | 1984-1987 |
| Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999) | 1987-1992 |
| K.R. Narayanan (1920-1925) | 1992-1997 |
| Krishan Kant (1927-2002) | 1997-2002 |
| Bhairon Singh Shekhawat(B-1923) | 2002-2007 |
| Mohammad Hamid Ansari (B-1937) | 2007-2017 |
| Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu (B-1949) | August 11, 2017 – Incumbent |
This list is as mentioned above is based on vice presidents elected after winning an Indian Vice Presidential election. The Vice President of India does not represent any political party.