president and vice president — BSSC Polity

The minimum age required to become the Vice-President is 35 years.

• This is clearly mandated by the Indian Constitution for candidates contesting for this post.

• Article 66 outlines the qualifications for the election of the Vice President.

• Options A, C, and D state incorrect age criteria not supported by the Constitution.

• Exam Trick: President and Vice-President both require a minimum age of 35 years.

• For Lok Sabha, the minimum age is 25 years.

The Chief Justice of India administers the oath to the President.

• This is done before the President enters upon his/her office.

• Article 60 of the Constitution deals with the oath or affirmation by the President.

• Other officials like PM or VP do not hold the authority to administer the President's oath.

• Memory Tip: The highest judicial authority swears in the highest executive authority.

• In the absence of the CJI, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court administers the oath.

The Vice-President plays a dual role in the Indian political system.

• He is part of the Executive as the second-highest authority after the President.

• He is part of the Legislature because he serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).

• The reason perfectly justifies why the assertion claims he belongs to both branches.

• Exam Trick: "Ex-officio" means holding a position by virtue of holding another office.

• Article 64 states that the Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

The Supreme Court inquires into and decides all doubts and disputes regarding the President's election.

• This provision also applies to the disputes regarding the Vice-President's election.

• Article 71 provides that the decision of the Supreme Court in such matters is final.

• The Election Commission conducts the election but does not resolve the final legal disputes.

• Exam Trick: Remember Article 71 = Supreme Court settles Presidential election disputes.

• If a President's election is declared void, acts done before the verdict remain valid to ensure continuity.

Article 59 states the President uses his official residence rent-free and his allowances cannot be reduced.

• He shall NOT hold any office of profit. Thus, Statement 2 is incorrect.

• He shall also not be a member of either House of Parliament or a State Legislature.

• Statement 2 is entirely opposite to the constitutional conditions for the post.

• Exam Trick: Any 'office of profit' immediately disqualifies a candidate for the President's post.

• Article 59 outlines the detailed conditions of the President's office.

The method of electing the Indian President is borrowed from the Constitution of Ireland.

• The President is elected by an electoral college.

• The system uses proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.

• USA and Britain have different executive systems (presidential and monarchy, respectively).

• Memory Tip: Irish = Election (I for I).

• Ireland also inspired the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in India.

There is no constitutional bar on the number of times a person can be re-elected as President in India.

• Article 57 expressly provides that the President is eligible for re-election to that office.

• Dr. Rajendra Prasad is the only President to have held the office for two terms.

• Options stating a limit (like the US, where it's 2 terms) are incorrect for India.

• Exam Trick: Re-election = Article 57, No limit.

• The longest-serving President was Rajendra Prasad.

Article 63 states that there shall be a Vice-President of India.

• This post is the second-highest constitutional office in the country.

• Article 64 makes him the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States.

• Article 61 deals with impeachment, 62 with vacancies, and 65 with acting as President.

• Exam Trick: Sequence: Article 52 (President) -> Article 63 (Vice President).

• The Vice-President can act as President during casual vacancies or absence of the President.

Article 52 mandates "The President of India".

• Article 54 deals with the Election of the President.

• Article 61 deals with the procedure for impeachment of the President.

• Article 60 outlines the Oath or affirmation by the President.

• Exam Trick: Remember "O" in 60 looks like a zero for "Oath".

• Article 58 deals with the qualifications for election as President.

Gulzarilal Nanda served as the Acting Prime Minister twice, for just 13 days each time.

• He took office following the deaths of Jawaharlal Nehru (1964) and Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966).

• He is considered the shortest-tenure PM due to these brief acting periods.

• Vajpayee also served for 13 days in his first term, but overall served longer later.

• Exam Trick: Nanda stepped in purely as a stop-gap arrangement both times.

• The longest-serving PM was Jawaharlal Nehru (16 years and 286 days).