Jagdeep Dhankhar and 6 other sudden high-profile exits under Modi govt

Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation as the Vice-President of India, and by default the Rajya Sabha chairperson, has left many questions in its wake.

The same Opposition that had moved a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar last December, alleging partisanship in his role as the Upper House chairman, in a first such move in the country’s history, is now crying foul over his resignation.

However, Dhankhar is not the first high-level official in the country in recent years to leave his position suddenly. Since 2014, that is the beginning of Narendra Modi’s tenure as the prime minister, several top-level officials have left office abruptly, mostly citing “personal reasons” and a wish to return to academia. Here’s a list.

1. Jagdeep Dhankhar, as Vice President of India, 2025

While Dhankhar has cited ill health and medical advice behind the decision, the unexpectedness of the development has caught many off guard.

The circumstances surrounding the resignation—its abruptness, inconsistencies with his previous statements, and the coinciding political events—have created an air of mystery and led to the widespread belief that the full story may not have been revealed.

The announcement came just hours after he participated in parliamentary proceedings without any apparent signs of illness or indication of his intention to step down. In fact, earlier in the day, his office had put out a statement about a planned official trip to Jaipur on July 23. And even 10 days back, Dhankhar had stated at an event that he would “retire at the right time, August 2027”, implying that he would complete his five-year term.

Reports suggest a potential clash between Dhankhar and the Centre over his acceptance of an Opposition-backed motion to remove Allahabad High Court’s Justice Yashwant Varma, implicated in a corruption scandal. It is speculated that this move may have alienated him from the ruling party.

Also read: Mystery of why Dhankhar resigned, and who will replace him as Vice President

2. Raghuram Rajan, as RBI Governor, 2016

Raghuram Rajan’s resignation as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September 2016 was surrounded by much speculation.

While Rajan himself stated his desire to return to his academic career at the University of Chicago —which was widely cited as the official reason for his departure — many viewed this as perhaps not the sole reason for his decision, given the context of the disagreements and criticisms.

Rajan’s tenure was marked by public disagreements with the government on key economic issues. While Rajan championed reforms such as inflation targeting and cleaning up bad loans, the government reportedly desired lower interest rates to boost growth.

Rajan also expressed reservations about Narendra Modi’s flagship “Make in India” initiative, advocating for “Make for India” to focus on domestic consumption rather than aiming to become a global manufacturing hub.

Some members of the ruling party had openly criticized Rajan, even questioning his Indian-ness due to his Green Card status, which were not strongly countered by the government. Some media reports indicated a growing “trust deficit” between Rajan and the government, contributing to the decision not to offer him a second term.

Rajan announced his decision not to seek a second term just a few months before his first three-year term was to expire. This timing sparked speculation about whether he was pressured to leave or whether he chose to resign due to the increasing friction.

Also read: PM Modi’s curt farewell note to Dhankhar sparks talk over timing and tone

3. Urjit Patel, as RBI Governor, 2018

Two years later, Rajan’s successor Urjit Patel also resigned from the post, citing personal reasons, drawing comparisons to Rajan.

There were persistent reports of a significant rift between the RBI and the government, particularly in the months leading up to his resignation, on December 10, 2018.

The disagreements involved various policy issues, including the extent of government control over nationalized banks, liquidity support for non-banking financial companies, and the transfer of RBI’s surplus capital to the government.

The government was reportedly frustrated with the RBI under Patel, specifically Patel’s stance against the controversial Electoral Bond scheme and his questioning of amendments to the RBI Act, see as an attempt to erode the central bank’s autonomy.

Patel’s resignation came days before a crucial RBI board meeting where some of the contentious issues were expected to be discussed, fuelling speculation that it might have been a proactive move to avoid further confrontation.

Also read: Monsoon Session Day 2: MHA notifies Dhankhar's resignation; both Houses adjourned for day

4. Ashok Lavasa, as Election Commissioner, 2020

Ashok Lavasa resigned as the Election Commissioner in August 2020 to join the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as its vice-president.

While this prestigious appointment provided a concrete reason for his departure, the surrounding circumstances, particularly his stand on Model Code of Conduct violations and the subsequent actions against his family, contributed to a lingering sense of mystery and fuelled speculation about the true reasons behind his resignation.

Moreover, Lavasa was next in line to become the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after the incumbent, Sunil Arora, was due to retire in April 2021. Therefore, the timing of his exit raised eyebrows.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Lavasa notably dissented on decisions related to complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah regarding alleged Model Code of Conduct violations.

Soon after the 2019 elections, members of Lavasa’s family faced investigations by the Income Tax Department regarding alleged non-declaration of income and disproportionate assets. This prompted accusations of “targeting a dissenter” and raised concerns about potential political pressure influencing his decision to resign.

Also read: Congress hints at 'far deeper reasons' behind Dhankhar's resignation as VP

5. Arvind Subramanian, as Chief Economic Adviser, 2018

While officially attributed to “personal reasons” and a desire to return to academia in the US, Arvind Subramanian’s resignation as the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) in June 2018 sparked a degree of controversy and discussion.

Notably, Subramanian’s departure came almost a year before the end of his extended term till May 2019.

While then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley praised Subramanian’s contributions, there were reports of disagreements on certain policy matters. For instance, Subramanian reportedly favoured a simpler Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure with a maximum rate of 18 per cent. He also reportedly advocated for increased private participation in public sector banks.

He drew criticism from a section of the ruling BJP that accused him of being critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “working against India’s interests”.

Since his resignation, Subramanian has openly criticized various aspects of the government’s economic policies and approach to handling the economy, arguing that they have not worked effectively.

Also read: Did Arun Goel resign due to differences with CEC or Modi govt? Congress asks

6. Arun Goel, as Election Commissioner, 2024

Arun Goel’s resignation as Election Commissioner came in March 2024, just before the Lok Sabha elections. Despite the stated reason of “personal reasons”, his exit was seen as highly controversial and drew parallels to the departure of Lavasa.

Goel’s appointment as Election Commissioner in November 2022 was already controversial. He took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) just one day before his appointment, raising concerns about the process. Even the Supreme Court questioned the “tearing hurry” in which the appointment was made.

Goel’s resignation added to concerns about the independence and autonomy of the Election Commission, particularly following a new law passed in December 2023 that altered the process of selecting Election Commissioners, giving more power to the government.

Media reports suggested that differences between Goel and CEC Rajiv Kumar on various issues might have contributed to his resignation as well. These differences reportedly concerned issues like the composition of EC teams and formats of press briefings.

Also read: Manmohan Singh, Raghuram Rajan, other experts recruited by govt via lateral entry

7. Arvind Panagariya, as Niti Aayog vice-chairman, 2017

While Arvind Panagariya stated his reason for resigning as the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog in August 2017 was to return to academia at Columbia University, the move was still considered by many to be controversial.

His resignation came just before his term was set to expire in May 2019. According to reports, the Prime Minister’s Office had expressed a keen interest in Panagariya continuing his tenure until 2019.

However, there were hints of disagreements between Panagariya and the government on policy matters. He reportedly voiced concerns about the impact of demonetization and was critical of certain aspects of the government’s economic approach.

Critics viewed NITI Aayog, at the time of Panagariya, as failing to live up to its potential as a think tank offering independent and critical policy analysis. However, he was later appointed as the chairman of 16th Finance Commission, a post he is still holding.