Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar skipped the founder’s day celebration of his alma mater, Sainik School Chittorgarh (Rajasthan), on August 8, even though his office had earlier confirmed his availability for the event and the naming of the sports arena in his honour, sources familiar with the matter said.
Since his sudden resignation on July 21, Dhankhar has remained out of public view, prompting speculation about his health and future plans. In his absence, the Jagdeep Dhankhar Sports Arena was inaugurated by the Border Security Force (Rajasthan Frontier) inspector general, also an alumnus of the school.
The reasons for Dhankhar’s absence, and the timing of any communication to school authorities, remain unclear. His office had informally confirmed his attendance in the third week of June, following a visit by school representatives and students to the Vice President’s Enclave on June 5. During that meeting, Dhankhar reportedly invited the students to Parliament and expressed his intention to visit Sainik School and his own Sanga House.
Dhankhar’s resignation, citing health reasons, was sudden and unprecedented. It came shortly after he presided over the first day of the monsoon session in the Rajya Sabha. The delayed government response—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message arriving more than 15 hours later—fueled public concern. Rajya Sabha lawmaker Kapil Sibal even urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to comment on Dhankhar’s whereabouts to allay fears about his health.
An officer familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “He visited his alma mater in 2023. We do not know if he chose to skip this function voluntarily or if it was influenced by his resignation. He has always maintained strong ties with Sainik schools and has visited several across the country.”
The Sainik School administration did not respond to queries regarding Dhankhar’s communication about his absence. Notable alumni of the school include former Army chief Dalbir Suhag and Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya.