Vice-President as Ex-Officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Article 64)

VP Rajya Sabha chairman status flows directly from Article 64 of the Constitution, which declares that the Vice-President "shall be ex officio Chairman of the Council of the States and shall not hold any other office of profit." This single sentence fuses two constitutional posts into one person, without a separate election for the chairmanship.

What Article 64 Provides

Article 64 does two things at once. First, it makes the Vice-President the automatic (ex officio) presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha — there is no separate contest for this chairmanship; whoever is elected Vice-President under Article 66 becomes Chairman by virtue of that office alone. Second, it bars the Vice-President from holding any other office of profit while in this role, keeping the position free of conflicting official engagements.

A proviso to the Article carves out an important exception: whenever the Vice-President is acting as President, or discharging the President's functions under Article 65, the Vice-President does not perform the Chairman's duties in the Rajya Sabha, and is not entitled to the Chairman's salary or allowances under Article 97 during that period.

Why an Ex Officio Arrangement

Combining the vice-presidency with the upper house's chairmanship avoids the need for a separate, additional constitutional office purely to preside over the Rajya Sabha. Since Article 89 also mentions the Vice-President as ex officio Chairman of the Council of States (with the House separately electing a Deputy Chairman from among its own members), the framework ensures the Rajya Sabha always has a designated head even when its own membership changes.

Powers and Position as Chairman

As Chairman, the Vice-President's role in presiding over the Rajya Sabha broadly parallels that of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha — maintaining order, regulating proceedings, and exercising a casting vote only in case of a tie, since the Chairman does not otherwise vote in the House. A key structural difference is that the Chairman, unlike the Speaker, is not a member of the House being presided over — the Vice-President is elected by a separate electoral college under Article 66, not returned as a Rajya Sabha member.

What Happens When the Vice-President Cannot Preside

Two distinct situations take the Vice-President out of the Chair:

1. Acting as President (Article 65): the proviso to Article 64 expressly suspends the Chairman's duties and the associated salary during this period; the Deputy Chairman performs those duties instead.
2. A resolution for the Vice-President's own removal is under consideration: the Constitution separately bars the Chairman from presiding while such a resolution is being discussed.

Salary and Emoluments

The Constitution does not fix a separate salary for the Vice-President; the office draws its regular remuneration in the capacity of Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, a figure that Parliament revises by law from time to time. During any period of acting as President, however, the Vice-President instead receives the salary and allowances attached to the President's office, not those of the Chairman.

Article 64 vs Article 89 — Chairman and Deputy Chairman

Provision	What it covers
Article 64	Vice-President is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; cannot hold another office of profit
Article 89	Reaffirms the Vice-President as ex officio Chairman; requires the House to elect a member as Deputy Chairman
Article 91	Deputy Chairman (or another member appointed by the President) performs the Chairman's duties when the office is vacant or when the Vice-President is acting as President
Article 92	Chairman/Deputy Chairman cannot preside while a resolution for their own removal is under consideration

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

• The Vice-President becomes Chairman of the Rajya Sabha automatically (ex officio) — there is no separate election to this chairmanship.
• During any period of acting as President, the Vice-President neither performs the Chairman's duties nor draws the Chairman's salary — the Deputy Chairman fills in.

Mains

• Examine the rationale for combining the office of Vice-President with the chairmanship of the Rajya Sabha, and assess whether this dual arrangement affects the neutrality expected of a presiding officer. (GS II)

FAQ

Q1. Is the Vice-President a member of the Rajya Sabha? No. The Chairman under Article 64 is not a member of the House; the Vice-President is elected separately under Article 66 by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament.

Q2. Who presides over the Rajya Sabha when the Vice-President is acting as President? The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as the proviso to Article 64 removes the Vice-President from that role during such a period.

Q3. Can the Vice-President hold any other office of profit while serving as ex officio Chairman? No, Article 64 expressly prohibits it.

Q4. Does the Vice-President get a separate salary for chairing the Rajya Sabha? The Constitution does not fix a distinct Vice-Presidential salary; the office draws the salary attached to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, except during any period of acting as President, when the President's salary applies instead.

Quick Revision

• Article 64: Vice-President is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; cannot hold another office of profit.
• Chairman is not a member of the House, unlike the Lok Sabha Speaker.
• While acting as President (Art. 65), the Vice-President does not perform Chairman's duties or draw the Chairman's salary/allowances.
• Deputy Chairman (Art. 89, 91) fills in when the Chairman's office is vacant or the VP is acting as President.
• Chairman cannot preside while a resolution for removal from the Vice-Presidency is under consideration.

Sources

• The Constitution of India, Article 64 — legislative.gov.in
• The Constitution of India, Articles 89, 91, 92, 97 — legislative.gov.in

Further Reference

For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:

• M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
• D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
• The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.

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