The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of:

Explanation

Article 64 states the rule in direct terms: the Vice-President shall be the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States and shall not hold any other office of profit. The question uses the familiar name Rajya Sabha, while the Constitution text uses Council of States. That wording matters because this is not a separate elected chairmanship; it is attached to the constitutional office of Vice-President. The proviso also limits the role: when the Vice-President acts as President or discharges the President's functions under Article 65, he does not perform the duties of Chairman of the Council of States.

Why the other options are wrong

• (A) The National Development Council is not the body chaired ex officio by the Vice-President; the Prime Minister is its Chairman.
• (B) NITI Aayog is not linked to Article 64's ex officio chairmanship of the Vice-President; the Prime Minister is its Chairman.
• (C) Lok Sabha is not chaired by the Vice-President, because the Speaker presides over Lok Sabha.

Concept

This tests constitutional offices and ex officio roles, especially the relationship between the Vice-President and Parliament. It recurs in RAS because such questions check exact Article-based institutional facts rather than broad political awareness.

Source

• India Code: Constitution of India

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