The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice President of India, who holds this position ex-officio (by virtue of the office, not by separate election). The Vice President presides over the sessions of Rajya Sabha. Currently, Jagdeep Dhankhar is the Vice President of India and thus the Chairman of Rajya Sabha (since August 2022).
Chairman of Rajya Sabha: Vice President of India (ex-officio, Article 64).
Current Chairman: Jagdeep Dhankhar (14th VP, since August 2022).
Deputy Chairman: Harivansh Narayan Singh (elected by Rajya Sabha members).
Rajya Sabha = Council of States = Upper House; permanent, not dissolved.
Rajya Sabha: max 250 seats (238 elected + 12 nominated by President).
Each RS member serves 6 years; 1/3 retire every 2 years.
Chairman votes only in case of a tie; does not vote normally.
Constitutional Provision: • Article 64: The Vice President of India shall be ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha • The Chairman presides over the sessions of the Rajya Sabha • The Chairman does NOT vote in normal circumstances; votes only in case of a tie
Current Chairman (2024): • Jagdeep Dhankhar — 14th Vice President of India • Assumed office: 11 August 2022 • He is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha: • Elected by members of Rajya Sabha from among themselves (Article 89) • Current Deputy Chairman: Harivansh Narayan Singh (BJP) — reelected in 2022 • The Deputy Chairman presides when the Chairman is absent
Functions of the Chairman:
Rajya Sabha — Key Facts: • Full name: Council of States • Upper House of India's Parliament • Permanent body — cannot be dissolved (unlike Lok Sabha) • Members: maximum 250 (238 elected + 12 nominated by President) • Current strength: 245 (233 elected + 12 nominated) • Term of each member: 6 years; 1/3 of members retire every 2 years • Voting: Rajya Sabha members are elected by elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) using Single Transferable Vote — Proportional Representation • Speaker of Lok Sabha: Om Birla (as of 2024) • Chairman of Rajya Sabha: Jagdeep Dhankhar (Vice President)
Vice Presidents of India:
The Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the Vice President of India, who holds this position ex-officio under Article 64 of the Constitution. The current Vice President (and thus Chairman of Rajya Sabha) is Jagdeep Dhankhar, who assumed office on 11 August 2022. The Deputy Chairman, elected by Rajya Sabha members, presides when the Chairman is absent.
Ex-officio means 'by virtue of holding another office.' The Vice President of India becomes Chairman of Rajya Sabha automatically upon becoming Vice President — no separate election is needed. This is provided under Article 64 of the Indian Constitution.
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