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When will India get its next Vice-President?
India's office of vice president fell vacant after now former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned. File image/PTI
Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his resignation as Vice-President late Monday (July 21) night, citing health concerns.
In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar wrote, 'To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice-President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.'
Though Dhankhar has resigned, he will remain in office till his successor takes charge.
The Vice-President holds office for five years.
The Constitution mandates under Articles 63 to 71 that a formal election for the Vice-President occur within 60 days of their resignation.
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The next Vice-President must thus be sworn in by September 19, 2025.
Let's take a closer look at when this is likely to occur and how India will pick its next Vice-President.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre reached out to VP Jagdeep Dhankhar hours before he quit
At least two senior central ministers reached out to former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar after the government found out that he had acknowledged an Opposition-sponsored notice for the impeachment of justice Yashwant Varma and one of them hinted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's disapproval of the move, but the 74-year-old said he was acting within the rules of the House, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on Monday, citing health concerns.(Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab) Union health minister and leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda and Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju spoke to Dhankhar on Monday after he spoke in the Rajya Sabha about an impeachment notice against the sitting high court judge signed by 63 members. Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on Monday citing health concerns.(HT) 'Rijiu told Dhankhar that in the Lok Sabha, there is a process of building a consensus on the impeachment and pointed out that the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had signed the notice. He even indicated that the PM is not happy about the sudden development,' said one of the persons quoted above, requesting anonymity. But Dhankhar indicated that he was acting well within the rules of the House, this person cited above added. It is only after this exchange -- which came after the first business advisory committee of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30pm -- that the leaders chose to not go for the second BAC meeting that was held at 4.30pm on Monday. HT reported on Tuesday that the former Vice President's move to kickstart the impeachment process of justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha took the government, which wanted the process to go through the Lok Sabha, by surprise, and it was the trigger that prompted the abrupt resignation. The developments emerged on a day the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it had already kicked off preparations to hold the next vice-presidential elections as politics heated up over a series of meetings in Delhi following the dramatic resignation two days ago. Union home minister Amit Shah, Union health minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda, and Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla amid intense speculation on whether the former VP admitted the Opposition-sponsored notice for the impeachment of justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh also met Birla for a marathon meeting. According to two senior officials, the pending impeachment notices were one of the key topics of discussion. Government officials indicated that the government didn't want to sit on the issue and may urge the presiding officials to start the impeachment process by appointing a committee of jurists, who will look into the allegations and give a report to Parliament. 'The government is in no mood to take up the Opposition-sponsored notice,' said a senior government functionary, adding that the Centre would prefer the Lok Sabha notice to proceed. Separately, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge told HT that constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will meet and collectively decide the strategy for the upcoming VP election, and take a call on any candidate. On Monday night, Dhankhar, 74, resigned on health grounds, in an unprecedented and unexpected move that came after he presided over the first day of the monsoon session in the Rajya Sabha. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said, 'To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.' The Union home ministry formalised the decision through a gazette notification, that came on the same day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's terse message, 15 hours and 18 minutes after the resignation was posted at 9.25pm by the Vice President's X handle The poll watchdog said it has started constituting the electoral college comprising MPs of both Houses of Parliament. Both elected and nominated members are eligible to vote in the vice presidential election. It is also finalising the returning officer and assistant returning officers. 'On completion of the preparatory activities, the announcement of the election schedule to the office of the Vice President of India will follow as soon as possible,' ECI said. In the 782-member electoral college, comprising parliamentarians from both houses, the National Democratic Alliance holds the edge with 426 members. The INDIA bloc has 312 members. ECI said the formal 'announcement of the election schedule to the office of the Vice-President of India will follow as soon as possible' once the foundational steps are complete. According to Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of the vice president occurring due to his death, resignation or removal, or otherwise, will be held 'as soon as possible' after it goes vacant. The person elected to fill the vacancy will be entitled to hold office 'for the full term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office'. From the day the notification is issued, 'calling the electoral college to vote', and till the day of the poll, a period of 30 days is stipulated. A person cannot be elected as the vice president unless he is a citizen of India, has completed 35 years of age and is qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha. The entire debate on the impeachment motion – justice Varma is facing allegations of corruption after wads of cash were recovered from his residence in Delhi in March – now hinges on whether Dhankhar admitted the notice signed by 63 Opposition members on Monday. HT reported on Tuesday that last week, Dhankhar asked some Opposition leaders to give a notice for the impeachment of justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha, even as the government wanted to bring the notice only in the Lok Sabha. Accordingly, a senior Congress lawmaker who is also a lawyer, hurriedly prepared an impeachment notice on Sunday; all 63 MPs who signed it on Monday were from the Opposition parties. Not a single National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MP signed the Opposition-sponsored notice in the Rajya Sabha. The reason: The NDA had no idea that such a notice was being prepared. Dhankhar himself came to the House after the first Business Advisory Committee meeting on Monday and announced, 'I need to inform you that I have received notice of motion under Article 217(1)(B) read with Article 218 and Article 124…to constitute a statutory committee for removal of justice Yashwant Varma. This has been received by me today. It is signed by more than 50 members of the Council of States.' The notice derailed the government's meticulous plan to remove justice Varma. A furious Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided that party chief and Leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju would not attend the second BAC meeting led by Dhankhar in the evening. Hours later, Dhankhar had resigned. (With inputs by Vrinda Tulsian)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
MP calls for delisting converted tribal people from ST category
1 2 3 Jaipur: In a significant move, Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat has brought attention to a controversial demand in the Lok Sabha, calling for the removal of religious converts from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Speaking in Lok Sabha Monday, the BJP MP advocated for applying the same criteria to STs as currently applicable to Scheduled Castes (SCs), where conversion to non-Hindu faiths leads to disqualification from constitutional benefits. Rawat, who has strong ties with the RSS-affiliated Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), highlighted what he termed a "legal loophole" that has persisted for 75 years. Quoting studies and reports, Rawat said converted tribals continue to receive reservation benefits in education, employment and welfare schemes despite abandoning traditional tribal customs and practices. "This is a direct blow to the rights of genuine tribal communities in Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and across the country. Limited resources are being diverted to those who no longer preserve tribal identity, weakening socio-economic development efforts," he told TOI. Referring to Article 342 of the Constitution, which governs Scheduled Tribes, Rawat noted that currently does not include any disqualification clause related to religious conversion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The MP, who took voluntary retirement from a Rajasthan govt service to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleged that Christian missionaries and other groups have been conducting forced conversions in tribal areas through financial inducements. "They have devised a formula: change your belief system but not your legal identity. This poses a serious threat to tribal culture and traditions," Rawat said. According to the 2011 Census, Rajasthan has approximately 97,000 Christians, primarily concentrated in Jaipur, Ajmer, Dungarpur and Banswara. As a key strategist for JSM's nationwide campaign, Rawat has been instrumental in organising rallies and outreach programs across several states with significant tribal populations, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Rawat was hand-picked by senior RSS members from Udaipur to address several long-pending issues, including the contentious demand for the de-listing of converted tribal people from Scheduled Tribe benefits. The demand for de-listing converted tribal people has been a long-standing agenda of RSS-affiliated organisations, though it faces complex constitutional and social implications.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Several feared trapped in caved-in illegal mine in Dhanbad, cops deny
1 2 Dhanbad/Ranchi: At least 12 miners are feared trapped in a caved-in illegal coal mine in Jamunia under Baghmara block, around 40 km from Dhanbad district headquarters, with some feared dead, local villagers and political leaders said on Wednesday. The police, administration and the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), however, said that, so far, they have not found any sign of mine collapse. The alleged incident, however, snowballed into a political brick-batting on Wednesday as both the ruling and coalition parties accused each other over the illegal mining menace in coal belt and the state at large. "Twelve labourers were trapped while some others, who managed to escape, were undergoing treatment in private hospitals. Families of the trapped workers were being offered Rs 10 lakh as compensation. This is a planned racket where labourers are brought from other districts and used for illegal mining. After the mishap, the entry point was filled with mud to conceal the incident," Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Chaudhary claimed. On the other hand, Jamshedpur west MLA Saryu Roy on Tuesday wrote on X, "At a place called Jamunia in Baghmara, Dhanbad, a tunnel used for illegal mining collapsed, resulting in the death of nine workers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy the Dip: Top 5 Dividend Stocks with Growth Potential Seeking Alpha Read More Undo The illegal mining mafia is engaged in disposing of the bodies of the deceased. I have informed #SSP#Dhanbad about this," he wrote on X. Talking to media, he held the local administration accountable for the mishap. Dhanbad deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan told PTI, "We have rushed an NDRF team to the spot suggested but so far, no sign of any such incident has been found." Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar said that he has directed SDPO Baghmara to conduct a probe. Dhanbad senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar told PTI, "As we received the information, we sent a team to the said location but no trace of any such incident was found. Additionally, no one from any side including family members turned up," he added. "We have also requested BCCL to conduct a technical inquiry. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged from any side," he told TOI. Regional nodal security officer of block- 2 project of BCCL, Rajiv Ranjan, also said there is no information of any such incident in the closed underground mine of block-2 project. Health, food and civil supplies and disaster management department minister and Congress MLA, Irfan Ansari accused the BCCL for patronising illegal mining demanding appropriate compensation. He said, "BCCL needs to be controlled first. They are patronising illegal mining with local mafia by engaging our innocent, poor workers. In case of mishap, they will be called as illegal miners to avoid giving compensation. I urge CM to announce appropriate compensation and take strict action. I will soon take up this matter with him." State Congress hit out at the Centre as BCCL comes under it. "The security of the mines is entirely managed by institutions like CCL and BCCL through CISF which is directly under the Centre and the state govt has no control. Coal companies, for their benefit, leave mines insecurely open after mining instead of closing them permanently, promoting illegal mining. This is a centrally orchestrated murder," said spokesperson Sonal Shanti. BJP hit back demanding a CBI probe. "It's a state sponsored deaths and CBI probe should be instituted for such illegal mining and its related deaths. The state govt and local administration is aware about large scale illegal mining but chooses to remain mum," said BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.
