Question

In the light of Article 68 of the Constitution of India, within how much time is the vacancy in the office of the Vice President of India occurring by reason of death, resignation or removal or otherwise is required to be filled?

• A. Within 3 months
• B. Within 6 months
• C. As soon as possible
• D. At any time

Hint:

Remember: President = 6 Months. Vice-President = ASAP. The Vice-President's role is primarily to act in the absence of the President, so the timeline is flexible but urgent.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The Constitution provides specific timelines for filling vacancies in the top offices of the country to ensure continuity of governance.

• Article 68(1): Deals with election to fill a vacancy caused by the expiration of the term.

• Article 68(2): Deals with vacancies caused by death, resignation, or removal.

Step 1: Analyzing the Constitutional Language.
Unlike the President's office, no specific month-based limit is mentioned for the VP. The Constitution uses the phrase

"as soon as possible after the occurrence of the vacancy." The person elected to fill such a vacancy is entitled to hold office for the full term of five years.

Step 2: Contrasting with the President's Office.
For the

President, a vacancy must be filled within

6 months. For the

Vice-President, it is simply

as soon as possible. This is a common point of confusion in competitive exams, as students often assume the "6 months" rule applies to both.