The Vice-President of India is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of India after the President. The Vice-President also has the legislative function of acting as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Article 63 of the Constitution of India provides for a Vice-President: "There shall be a Vice-President of India". While the Indian Vice-President could be elected for any number of terms, the Constitution requires that the Vice-President must be a citizen of India. The qualifications for Vice-President are the same as those for President.
The Vice-President acts as President in the event of the death, resignation, or removal of the President, until a new President is chosen by the electoral college. The Vice-President may also act temporarily as President during the absence or illness of the President.
From Sarvepalli Radhakrishan to Mohammad Hamid Ansari, here is the list of Indian Vice-President from-1950 to till date.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishan (13 May 1952 – 12 May 1962)
The first Vice-President of India
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Born on
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5 September 1888
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Positions Held
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King George V-Professor of Philosophy, Calcutta University, 1921-1939.
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Vice-Chancellor 0f
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(1) Andhra University, 1931 – 1936.
(2) Banaras Hindu University, 1939-1948.
Indian Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to U.S.S.R, 1949-1952.
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Recipient of
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Bharat Ratna 1954.
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Died on
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17 April 1975
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Zakir Hussain (13 May 1962 – 12 May 1967)
The second Vice-President of India
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Born on
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8 February 1897
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Vice-Chancellor 0f
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(1) Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, 1926-1948.
(2) Aligarh Muslim University , 1948-1956.
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Recipient of
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Padam Bhusahan 1954 and Bharat Ratna 1963.
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Died on
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3 May 1969
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Varahagiri Venkata Giri (13 May 1967 – 3 May 1969)
The third Vice-President of India
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Born on
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10August 1894
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Member of
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(1) Central Legislative Assembly, 1934-1937.
(2) Madras Legislative Assembly, 1937-1939 and 1946-1947 Minister, holding portfolios of Labour, Industried, Cooperation and Commerce, Government of Madras, 1937-1939 and 1946-1947 Indian High Commissioner to Ceylon, 1947-1951, Member of Lok Sabha 1952-1957, Union Minister of Labour, 1952-1954.
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Governor 0f
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Uttar Pradesh, 1957-1960, Kerala, 1960-1965 and Mysore, 1965-1967.
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Died on
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23 June 1980
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Gopal Swarup Pathak (31 August 1969 – 30 August 1974)
The fourth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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26 February 1896
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Positions Held
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Judge, Allahabad High Court, 1945-1946.
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Member of
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Rajya Sabha, 3-4-1960 to 2-4-1966 and 3-4-1966 to 13-5-1967, Union Minister of Law, 1966-1967, Governor, Mysore State, 13-5-1967 to 31-8-1969.
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Chancellor 0f
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1)Mysore University, (2) Bangalore University and (3) Karnataka University.
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Died on
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31 August 1982
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Basappa Danappa Jatti (31 August 1974– 30 August 1979)
The fifth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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10 September 1912
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Governor of
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Mysore State 1958-1966, Lt. Governor, Pondicherry,1968-1972; Governor, Orissa, 1972-1974.
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Died on
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7 May 2002
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Muhammad Hidayatullah (31 August 1979 – 30 August 1984)
The sixth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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17 December 1905
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Positions Held
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Advocate at the Nagpur High Court from 1930 - 1946, Government Pleader between 1942 and 1943. Advocate General of Central Provinces and Berar ( Uttar Pradesh) from 1943 - 1946., Judge of Nagpur High Court from 1946 - 1954. Chief Justice of the Nagpur High Court in 1954. Served till 1956. Judge to the Supreme Court of India on 1958.
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Member
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Nagpur Municipal Committe e from 1931 – 1933, Nagpur University's Executive and Academic Councils between 1934 – 1953, Nagpur Improvement Trust from 1943 – 1945, Faculty of Law at (1) Sagar University, (2) Court Vikram University, and (3) Aligarh Muslim University in 1950
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Died on
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18 September 1992
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Ramaswamy Venkataraman (31August 1984– 27 July 1987)
The seventh Vice-President of India
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Born on
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4 December 1910
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Member of
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(1) Provisional Parliament, 1950-1952,
(2) Lok Sabha. 1952-1957, 1977-1979 and 1980-1984,
(3) Member, Madras Legislative Council, 1957-1962 and 1962-1967 ,Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Lok Sabha, Minister holding portfolios of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power and Transport, Government of Madras, 1957-1967, Leader of the House, Madras Legislative Council, 1957-1967, Member, Planning Commission, 1967-1971,Member, United Nations Administrative Tribunal, 1955-1979 and its President, 1968-1979, Union Minister holding portfolios of Finance and Defence, 1980-1984.
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Died on
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27 January 2009.
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Shankar Dayal Sharma (3 September 1987 – 24 July 1992)
The eighth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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19 August 1918
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Governor of
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(1) Andhra Pradesh, 1984-85, (2) Punjab, 1985-86, and (3) Maharashtra, 1986-1987
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Recipient of
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Chakravarti Gold Medal for Social Service.
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Died on
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26 December 1999
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Kocheril Raman Narayanan ( 21 August 1992 – 24 July 1997)
The ninth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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27 October 1920
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Member of
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The Universal Academy of Cultures, Pans London School of Economics, London, Jawaharial Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, and Centre for Development Studies Kerala.
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Chancellor of
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Delhi University, Panjab University, Pondicherry, University, Assam University, North-Eastern Hill University; and Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University).
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Recipient of
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Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), University of Toledo, USA Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), Australian National University, Canberra, Australian National University has instituted an annual ‘K.R. Narayanan Oration’ Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1970-1972 of study of Nehru's Non-alignment.
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Died on
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9 November 2005
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Krishan Kant (21 August 1997 – 27 July 2002)
The tenth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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28 February 1927
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Member of
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Rajya Sabha from 1966-1977, Lok Sabha from 1977-1980
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Governor of
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Andhra Pradesh 1990-1997, Tamil Nadu 1996-1997.
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Chancellor of
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Delhi University, Panjab University, Pondicherry University, Assam University, North-Eastern Hill University and Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University).
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Died on
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27 July 2002
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Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (19 August 2002 – 21 July 2007)
The eleventh Vice-President of India
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Born on
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23 October 1923
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Positions Held
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1974-1977 Member, Rajya Sabha (Council of States), 1977-2002 Member, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, 1977 - 1980 Chief Minister of Rajasthan (First term), 1980 - 1989 Leader of the Opposition, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, 1990-1992 Chief Minister of Rajasthan (Second term), 1993 - 1998 Chief Minister of Rajasthan (Third term), 1999 - 2002 Leader of the Opposition, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
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Died on
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15 May 2010
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Mohammad Hamid Ansari (11 August 2007- Incumbent)
The Twelfth Vice-President of India
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Born on
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1 April 1937
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Positions Held
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Joined Indian foreign service (IFS) in 1961, Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates 1976-1979, Chief of Protocol to Govt.of India 1980-1985, High Commissioner to Australia 1985-1989, Ambassador to Afganistan 1989-1990, Ambassador to Iran 1990-1992, Permanent Representative to the UN, New York 1993-1995, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia 1995-1999, Visiting Professor Centre for West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-1999-2000, Distinguished fellow observer Research Foundation, New Delhi 2002-2006.
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Vice-Chancellor
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Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 2000-2002
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Recipient of
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Padam Shri-1984
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