Presiding Officers of Rajya Sabha: Chairman and Deputy Chairman
Official heading: “The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Council of States”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part V, Article 89, printed page 41
- Last human source-link check
- Not yet checked
- Last human legal review
- Not yet reviewed
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1. In One Sentence
Article 89 designates the Vice-President as the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and directs the Council to choose one of its own members as Deputy Chairman.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Article 89 establishes the leadership of the upper house of Parliament. Clause (1) reiterates that the Vice-President of India is the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).
Because the Chairman is not an elected member of the Rajya Sabha, clause (2) commands the Council to choose one of its own members to be the Deputy Chairman. The election is conducted from among the sitting members of the House.
The Deputy Chairman presides over daily parliamentary business when the Chairman is absent, or when the Vice-President is acting as President of India under Article 65, providing internal institutional continuity.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
Rajya Sabha convenes after biennial elections and the position of Deputy Chairman has fallen vacant due to a member’s retirement.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 89 structures the presiding authority of the Rajya Sabha.
- Chairman is ex officio (the Vice-President of India).
- Deputy Chairman is chosen exclusively by and from the members of the Council of States.
- Guarantees that a presiding officer from within the House is always available to conduct business.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 89, printed page 41 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.