Who is Jagdeep Dhankar, second Vice President of India to resign from the post?

Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday announced his resignation from the position of the Vice President of India. Dhankar, 74, cited health reasons for the decision and said the exit was "effective immediately." In a statement shared on social media, Dhankar expressed gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But do you know enough about the departing Indian VP? Let us tell you about his life and career in brief.

Early life and legal career
Dhankhar, born in 1951 in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, attended the Government Primary School in Kithana village, Government Middle School, Ghardhana, and the Sainik School in Chittorgarh. He went on to complete a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics from Maharaja's College in Jaipur and an LLB from the University of Rajasthan. Dhankhar began his legal career in 1979, enrolling as an advocate with the Bar Council of Rajasthan. He was designated Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court in 1990, and since then, he primarily practiced in the Supreme Court of India, focusing on various issues including constitutional law, steel, coal, and mining.

Dhankhar's political career
In the late 1980s, Dhankhar took a political plunge and was elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Jhunjhunu constituency as a member of the Janata Dal. Between 1990 and 1991, he served as the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs under then-Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. Dhankhar was elected Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in 1993, serving in the position until 1998. Once associated with the Indian National Congress, Dhankhar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2003. He was the Governor of West Bengal from July 2019 to July 2022. He took office as the 14th Vice President of India on August 11, 2022, serving until his resignation on Monday.