Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned: Details of Education, life and political journey

Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned: The first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Jagdeep Dhankhar submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, stating that he needed to prioritize his healthcare and abide by medical advice, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.

Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana, a village in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. His parents were Gokal Chand and Kesari Devi. He received his early education from Class 1 to 5 at the Government Primary School in Kithana.

For Class 6, he attended the Government Middle School, Ghardhana, walking 4-5 kms daily. In 1962, he gained admission to Sainik School, Chittorgarh, on a full merit scholarship and passed the Indian School Certificate Examination recognized by Cambridge University.

He earned a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics from Maharaja’s College, Jaipur, affiliated with the University of Rajasthan. He completed his LLB from the University of Rajasthan between 1978 and 1979. Dhankhar enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan as an Advocate on November 10, 1979.

He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan on March 27, 1990. From 1990 until assuming the office of Governor in 2019, he primarily practiced in the Supreme Court of India. His litigation focus included Steel, Coal, Mining, and International Commercial Arbitration.

He appeared in various High Courts across the country and served as the president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association. In 2016, he represented the state of Haryana in the Supreme Court of India in the Sutlej River water dispute.

Political Career:

Jagdeep Dhankhar’s political journey has seen him affiliated with different parties: He began his electoral politics by representing the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha constituency as a member of the Janata Dal in the 9th Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. During this time, he served as the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in the Chandra Shekhar ministry from 1990 to 1991.

Indian National Congress: He joined the Indian National Congress in 1991. He contested the 1991 general election from Ajmer but was unsuccessful. From 1993 to 1998, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh, Rajasthan. He again contested the Lok Sabha election from Jhunjhunu in 1998 but finished in third place.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Dhankhar joined the BJP in 2003. He was a member of the party’s campaign committee for the 2008 assembly elections and headed the BJP’s law and legal affairs department in 2016.

Governor of West Bengal (2019-2022):

On July 30, 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of West Bengal. His tenure as Governor was marked by frequent public confrontations and disagreements with the state government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He was a vocal critic of the state administration, often expressing his views through social media and the press.

Vice President of India (2022-2025):

In July 2022, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominated him as their candidate for the Vice Presidential election. He was projected as a “kisan putra” (farmer’s son) by the BJP. He won the election with a significant margin, securing 528 out of 710 valid votes (74.4%).

He assumed office as the 14th Vice President of India on August 11, 2022, also becoming the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. His tenure as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was characterized by efforts to promote women officers and ensure order in the House, though it also saw considerable friction with the Opposition. He initiated reforms in the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

He often voiced his opinions on constitutional matters, including questioning the Supreme Court’s 2015 verdict that struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and expressing views on the inclusion of “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble of the Constitution.

On July 21, 2025, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the office of Vice President of India, citing health reasons and the need to prioritize medical advice, effective immediately. Jagdeep Dhankhar is married to Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, and they have one daughter. He has also been involved in cooperative movements, agriculture, and fine arts.

He is an avid reader and a sports enthusiast, having served as the President of the Rajasthan Olympic Association and Rajasthan Tennis Association. As Vice President, he was also an ex-officio Chancellor/Visitor of several universities and Chairman of various important committees.

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