The Vice President of India: List, Election, Powers & Role

India has had 15 Vice Presidents since 1952. Here is the full sequence, with the exam-important names highlighted.

01Dr. S. Radhakrishnan(1952–1962)First VP · two terms

02Dr. Zakir Husain(1962–1967)Later became President

03V. V. Giri(1967–1969)Later became President

04Gopal Swarup Pathak(1969–1974)

05B. D. Jatti(1974–1979)Acted as President

06Mohammad Hidayatullah(1979–1984)Ex-CJI · acted as President

07R. Venkataraman(1984–1987)Later became President

08Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma(1987–1992)Later became President

09K. R. Narayanan(1992–1997)Later became President

10Krishan Kant(1997–2002)Only VP to die in office

11Bhairon Singh Shekhawat(2002–2007)

12Mohammad Hamid Ansari(2007–2017)Two consecutive terms

13M. Venkaiah Naidu(2017–2022)

14Jagdeep Dhankhar(2022–2025)First VP to resign

15C. P. Radhakrishnan(2025–Incumbent)Incumbent Vice President

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1952–1962) — The first Vice President and, along with Hamid Ansari, one of only two to serve two full terms. A renowned philosopher-statesman, he presided over the Rajya Sabha with such command that his tenure set the tone for the office. He went on to become the second President of India, and his birthday, 5 September, is celebrated as Teachers' Day.

Mohammad Hidayatullah (1979–1984) — A former Chief Justice of India who became Vice President and had earlier acted as President in 1969. A rare career in which the judiciary, the presidency, and the vice-presidency all meet in one person.

Krishan Kant (1997–2002) — The only Vice President to die in office. His sudden death created the first genuine mid-term vacancy in the office and remains the standard textbook example when discussing how a VP vacancy is handled.

Mohammad Hamid Ansari (2007–2017) — One of only two Vice Presidents to serve two consecutive full terms (ten years), matching Radhakrishnan's record for longevity in the office.

Jagdeep Dhankhar (2022–2025) — The first Vice President to resign before completing the term, making his tenure the reference point for a mid-term vacancy caused by resignation.

Like the President, the Vice President is elected indirectly — but the Electoral College is very different, and this difference is the single most-asked point in exams.

The Electoral College

The VP is elected by the members of both Houses of Parliament only — and here, both elected AND nominated members take part. State legislatures (MLAs) play no role, unlike in the President's election.

Manner of election

The election uses proportional representation by a single transferable vote, with voting by secret ballot.

Qualifications Art. 66(3)

A candidate must be a citizen of India, have completed 35 years of age, be qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha (note: the President must be qualified for the Lok Sabha), and must not hold any office of profit. The nomination requires 20 proposers and 20 seconders.

The office of Vice President can fall vacant in five ways: expiry of the 5-year term, resignation (addressed to the President), removal under Article 67(b), death, or when the VP takes over as President.

Here is the high-yield contrast. When the President's office falls vacant, the Constitution sets a hard deadline — a new President must be elected within 6 months, and the Vice President acts as President in the meantime. But for the Vice President's own office, the Constitution says only that the election should be held "as soon as possible" — there is no fixed time limit, and crucially, there is no officer designated to "act as" Vice President.

Because the VP is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, a vacancy leaves the House without its presiding officer. During this gap, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha performs the Chairman's duties, so the House keeps functioning — but the constitutional office of Vice President simply stays empty until a fresh election is held.

A recent real example: after Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation in July 2025 — the first mid-term resignation by a VP — the office stayed vacant until the 15th Vice President was elected in September 2025, with the Deputy Chairman presiding over the Rajya Sabha in the interim.

A. As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Art. 64

In normal times, the Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. In this role the VP presides over the House, maintains order, and decides points of order. The VP is not a member of either House and therefore does not vote in the first instance — the VP has only a casting vote to break a tie. If a sitting member of a House is elected Vice President, they must vacate that seat.

B. As Acting President Art. 65

The Vice President acts as President during a casual vacancy in the President's office (due to death, resignation, removal, or inability to discharge functions). The VP can act as President for a maximum of 6 months, within which a new President must be elected.

Salary

Interestingly, the Vice President draws no salary in the capacity of VP. The salary is paid for the office of ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha — currently ₹4 lakh per month, along with allowances.