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Constitution of India · Part V: The Union · The President and Vice-President

Article 58: Qualifications for election as President

In plain words

To be eligible for election as President, a person must be a citizen of India, have completed the age of thirty-five years, and be qualified for election to the Lok Sabha. They must not hold an office of profit under the Union, a State or an authority controlled by them.

  • Being President, Vice-President, a Governor, or a Union or State Minister does not count as holding an office of profit.

A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.

Official text

(1) No person shall be eligible for election as President unless he—

(a) is a citizen of India,

(b) has completed the age of thirty-five years, and

(c) is qualified for election as a member of the House of the People.

(2) A person shall not be eligible for election as President if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the said Governments.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this article, a person shall not be deemed to hold any office of profit by reason only that he is the President or Vice-President of the Union or the Governor *** of any State or is a Minister either for the Union or for any State.

Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the article 58