ECI Appoints Rajya Sabha Secretary General as Returning Officer for Vice-Presidential Election 2025
New Delhi, July 25: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday initiated formal preparations for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2025, with the appointment of key officials to oversee the electoral process. In line with established convention and legal provisions, the ECI has appointed the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha as the Returning Officer for the upcoming election.
Retired IRS officer Pramod Chandra Modi has been serving as the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha since November 2021.
This appointment was made in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice and with the consent of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Commission stated in an official release.
Alongside the Returning Officer, the ECI has appointed Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, and Vijay Kumar, Director—both from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat—as Assistant Returning Officers for the Vice-Presidential election.
The Vice-Presidential election is governed by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, and the accompanying Rules of 1974. As per Section 3 of the Act, the Election Commission, in consultation with the central government, is mandated to appoint a Returning Officer whose office is located in New Delhi. Traditionally, this role alternates between the Secretary Generals of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
In the previous Vice-Presidential election, the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha had served as the Returning Officer. A Gazette notification formalizing the appointments is being issued separately.
This move marks a key administrative step ahead of the Vice-Presidential poll, which is expected to be notified formally in the coming weeks.
