A Surprise Leave
On July 21, 2025, India’s Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post.
He was supposed to work until 2027, but he resigned two years early. He said he left because of health problems.
This was a surprise because he looked fine at worked earlier on the same day.
Many people are now wondering: What does a Vice-President do? Who will become the next one?
Who is Jagdeep Dhankhar?
Jagdeep Dhankhar was India’s 14th Vice-President. Before this, he was a lawyer and also the Governor of West Bengal.
The Vice-President is the second-most important leader in India, just below the President.
If the President cannot work for any reason, the Vice-President takes over for up to 6 months.
However, most of the time, the Vice-President works in the Parliament.
What Does a Vice-President Do?
The Vice-President leads the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House). That is one part of Parliament.
He starts meetings, keeps order, and makes sure that everyone is following the rules.
He does not run the country directly or lead any ministry.
But if the President resigns, gets sick, or dies, the Vice-President becomes the Acting President for some time.
How is a Vice-President Elected?
All Members of Parliament (MPs) vote to choose the Vice-President.
MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha vote in secret, and the person with the most votes wins.
The Vice-President can quit by writing a letter to the President. This is allowed under a rule called Article 67(a) of the Indian Constitution.
He can also be removed, but that takes a lot of time and a large number of MPs must agree to do so.
What Happens Now?
Mr. Dhankhar said he left because of health reasons, but some people think it could be because of politics.
Now, the Deputy Chairperson is doing his job in the Rajya Sabha.
A new Vice-President will be chosen in the next 60 days.
This is an example that even when leaders quit suddenly, our country keeps working smoothly.
