RAS question
Who is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
Correct answer: (B) Vice-President of India.
The Vice-President of India is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Explanation
Article 89(1) of the Constitution makes the Vice-President of India the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States, which is the Rajya Sabha in the question. This is why the answer is the Vice-President, not a parliamentary party leader or the head of government. The role comes with the office of Vice-President itself, so the Chairman need not separately be a member of the Rajya Sabha. Article 89(2) then deals with a different office: the Council of States chooses one of its members as Deputy Chairman. That separation is the key exam point: the Chairman is ex officio, while the Deputy Chairman is chosen from among members.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Prime Minister heads the government, but Article 89(1) assigns the chairmanship of the Council of States to the Vice-President.
- (C) The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has no presiding role under Article 89(1), which names the Vice-President as Chairman.
- (D) The President summons and prorogues Parliament, but does not chair the Rajya Sabha; Article 89(1) gives that role to the Vice-President.
Concept
This tests the constitutional offices connected with Parliament, especially the distinction between the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. RAS repeats such provisions because they are direct Article-based facts with common traps around high constitutional offices.