From MLA to V-P: How Jagdeep Dhankhar rose to India's second-highest constitutional post
Jagdeep Dhankar said that serving in the transformative era of India's history has been a “true honour”.
Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday resigned from his post as Vice President of India, citing health reasons and medical advice. His resignation came hours after he chaired the Rajya Sabha's first Monsoon session.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar expressed gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union Cabinet of Ministers. He said he felt proud to have been a part of India's development as an economic power and as a global entity.
Who is Jagdeep Dhankhar?
Born on May 18, 1951, in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district's Kithana village, Jagdeep Dhankhar has undertaken a long journey, right from Rajasthan's Bar Council to the office of the Vice President of India.
He is married to Dr Sudesh Dhankhar and has one daughter, Kamna.
Dhankhar holds an Honors degree in B.Sc. Physics from Jaipur's Maharaja's College. He also did LLB from the University of Rajasthan in 1978-79.
From November 10, 1979, Jagdeep Dhankhar was enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan. He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan from March 27, 1990.
Since then, he had been practising primarily in the Supreme Court, focusing on litigation in the fields of Steel, Coal, Mining, and International Commercial Arbitration, among others.
Dhankhar has appeared in various High Courts across the country. He was the senior-most designated Senior Advocate of the State till he assumed the Office of Governor of West Bengal in July 2019. He held the Governor's office till July 2022.
In his parliamentary journey, Jagdeep Dhankhar made his debut when he was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from his native Jhunjhunu parliamentary constituency in 1989.
Under the Chandra Shekhar ministry, he also served as a Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs from 1990 to 1991.
He was also elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Ajmer's Kishangarh constituency in 1993.
Dhankhar also became a member of several key committees in the Lok Sabha and the Rajasthan assembly. In fact, as a Union minister, he also served as a member of a delegation as Deputy Leader of a Parliamentary Group to the European Parliament.
Jagdeep Dhankhar is known to have a keen interest in sports. He has previously been the President of the Rajasthan Olympic Association, and the Rajasthan Tennis Association.
Dhankhar is a life member at the Indian Law Institute. He is also a member of the Indian Council of Arbitration, ICC Commission of Arbitration, and ICC Court of Arbitration.
He has also served as Chancellor (ex-officio) of Delhi University and Chancellor (ex-officio) of Panjab University.
