Jagdeep Dhankhar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jagdeep Dhankhar
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Official portrait, 2025
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| 14th Vice President of India | |
| In office 11 August 2022 – 21 July 2025 |
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| President | Droupadi Murmu |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Venkaiah Naidu |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Governor of West Bengal | |
| In office 30 July 2019 – 18 July 2022 |
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| Chief Minister | Mamata Banerjee |
| Preceded by | Keshari Nath Tripathi |
| Succeeded by | La. Ganesan (additional charge) |
| Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs | |
| In office 21 November 1990 – 21 June 1991 |
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| Minister | Satya Prakash Malaviya |
| Preceded by | P. Namgyal |
| Succeeded by | R. K. Kumar |
| Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 4 December 1993 – 29 November 1998 |
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| Speaker | Hari Shankar Bhabhra Shanti Lal Chaplot |
| Preceded by | Jagjeet Singh |
| Succeeded by | Nathu Ram |
| Constituency | Kishangarh |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 2 December 1989 – 21 June 1991 |
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| Speaker | Rabi Ray |
| Preceded by | Mohd. Ayub Khan |
| Succeeded by | Mohd. Ayub Khan |
| Constituency | Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 May 1951 Kithana, Rajasthan, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Indian National Congress (1991–2003) Janata Dal (until 1991) |
| Spouse |
Sudesh Dhankhar
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Rajasthan (B.Sc, LLB) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Jagdeep Dhankhar (born 18 May 1951) is an Indian politician and lawyer. He served as the Vice President of India from 2022 until his resignation on 21 July 2025. Before that, he was the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022.
He also worked as a Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from 1990 to 1991. He was a member of the Lok Sabha (one of India's main parliamentary houses) from 1989 to 1991. From 1993 to 1998, he was a member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Dhankhar has been part of different political parties in India, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Janata Dal (JD).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on 18 May 1951. His birthplace was Kithana, a village in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. He comes from a Hindu Rajasthani Jat family. His parents were Ch. Gokal Chand and Kesari Devi.
He went to Sainik School, Chittorgarh for his school education. He completed his early schooling at Kithana Government School and Ghardhana Government School. Later, he earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees. He studied at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur.
Dhankhar married Sudesh Dhankhar in 1979. They have one daughter named Kamna.
Legal Career
Dhankhar became a lawyer with the Bar Council of Rajasthan in 1979. In 1990, he was named a Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court. This is a special title given to experienced lawyers. He was the most senior lawyer with this title in Rajasthan until he became Governor in 2019.
Since 1990, Dhankhar mainly worked on constitutional law cases. He argued cases in the Supreme Court of India. He also appeared in various high courts across India. He even served as the president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association.
In 2016, he represented the state of Haryana in a water dispute. This case was about the Sutlej River and was heard in the Supreme Court.
Political Journey
Jagdeep Dhankhar has been involved in politics for many years. He was first a member of the Janata Dal party. He represented the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan. This was during the 9th Lok Sabha, from 1989 to 1991.
In 1991, he joined the Indian National Congress party. He ran for election from the Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency but did not win. Later, he was elected as a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He served from 1993 to 1998, representing Kishangarh.
He ran for election again in 1998 from the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha constituency. He finished in third place in that election.
In 2003, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was part of the party's campaign team for the 2008 assembly elections. In 2016, he led the BJP's law and legal affairs department.
Governor of West Bengal (2019–2022)
On 20 July 2019, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, appointed Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Governor of West Bengal. He took his oath of office on 30 July 2019.
As Governor, Dhankhar had disagreements with the state government. He often spoke out about political issues. He resigned as Governor on 17 July 2022. This was because he was chosen as a candidate for Vice President.
Vice Presidency (2022–2025)
Becoming Vice President
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On 16 July 2022, the BJP chose Dhankhar as their candidate for Vice President. He was presented as a kisan putra, meaning "farmer's son." He ran against Margaret Alva, who was the candidate from the opposition parties.
Dhankhar submitted his nomination papers on 18 July 2022. He was joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other important leaders.
The election took place on 6 August 2022. Dhankhar won by getting 528 votes out of 710 valid votes. Margaret Alva received 182 votes. Dhankhar won with 74.37% of the votes. This was a very large winning margin.
His Time as Vice President
Dhankhar officially became the Vice President on 11 August 2022. He took the oath of office from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
On 19 September 2023, Jagdeep Dhankhar spoke to both houses of the Indian Parliament. This event marked the last time the Parliament used its historic old building.
On 1 September 2023, Dhankhar named a new naval ship, the INS Mahendragiri.
He has often talked about India's rich history and culture. On World Tourism Day, he called India a "heaven for tourism." He encouraged Indians to explore their own country first.
Dhankhar has also suggested using more Sanskrit in daily life. He believes Sanskrit is a key part of India's cultural heritage. He also supports a balance between ancient Indian medicine, like Ayurveda, and modern medical science.
As the chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament), he made a special change. He included 17 women members in a panel of Vice-Chairpersons. This happened when the Rajya Sabha discussed a bill about women's power.
Disagreements in Parliament
Sometimes, the opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha said Dhankhar was "biased." They felt he favored members of his own party. In December 2024, some opposition groups tried to move a motion against him. They said he stopped them from discussing certain issues. However, this motion was not formally discussed.
Views on the Judiciary
Dhankhar has also shared his thoughts on the role of India's courts. He believes that the different parts of the government, like the Parliament and the courts, should respect each other's roles. He has spoken about the importance of each branch staying within its own boundaries.
Trips to Other Countries
Jagdeep Dhankhar's first official trip as Vice President was to Cambodia in November 2022. He represented India at important meetings there. These meetings celebrated 70 years of friendship between India and Cambodia. They also marked 30 years of relations between India and ASEAN countries.
He visited old temples like Ta Prohm Temple and Angkor Wat Temple. He saw the work being done to restore these cultural sites. He also opened the Hall of Dancers at the Ta Prohm Temple.
Dhankhar also visited Qatar in November 2022.
In May 2023, Dhankhar went to London. He attended the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III. He represented the Government of India at this important event. Before the coronation, he met King Charles III and other world leaders.
On 22 May 2024, Dhankhar visited Iran. He went to offer condolences after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials.
Resignation
On 21 July 2025, Dhankhar resigned from his position as Vice President. He stated that he wanted to focus on his health. He became the third Vice President to resign before finishing his term.
See also
In Spanish: Jagdeep Dhankhar para niños
- List of governors of West Bengal
- 2022 Indian vice presidential election
Images for kids
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Dhankar inspects the Guard of Honour at the Indian Naval Academy in May 2023
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