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The Vice President of India is elected through an indirect election. According to Article 66 of the Constitution, the Vice President is elected by an electoral college made up of members from both Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members.
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00:00Hello and welcome. You're watching India Today explains. I'm Akshita Nanda Gopal and over the
00:12next 30 minutes I'll break down some of the week's big stories for you. The biggest headline,
00:17Jagdeep Dhankar resigning as Vice President. So we explain for you how a Vice President
00:22is elected in India. Also, as Justice Yashwant Verma faces impeachment, how does the process
00:28work and has it ever happened before? We'll tell you all about that. Also on the show,
00:34the game changer India-UK free trade agreement and why it's a big deal for India and for the
00:39United Kingdom. My colleague Sandeep Unitan will also be joining me on the show to tell you about
00:44the MiG-21 fighter jet service to the nation and why it got the moniker of flying coffin.
00:50And finally on the show, I'll tell you all about the Epstein files and why Donald Trump
00:55is in the dock. So let's get started.
00:58As we assemble for the 268th session of the Rajasabha, I extend my warm greetings to all
01:11of you.
01:12July 21st was the opening day of the monsoon session in parliament. Business began as usual
01:18in both the houses of parliament with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar presiding over proceedings
01:22in the upper house in Rajasabha. It all went smoothly until a few hours later, Vice President
01:29Dhankar dropped that huge bombshell. The 74-year-old announced that he is resigning from his position
01:34in a letter to President Murmo, in which he wrote that he was stepping down immediately,
01:39and I quote here, to prioritize healthcare and abide by medical advice.
01:43This abrupt resignation created a rare mid-term vacancy in the country's second-highest constitutional
01:51office. Dhankar is only the third Vice President in India's history to resign before completing
01:56his term, after V. V. Giri and Bhaerun Singh Shikhaven, both of whom stepped down to contest
02:01presidential elections. So here the situation is rather different. Dhankar's move comes two years
02:07too early in his five-year tenure. Essentially, his tenure was to officially end on August 10th,
02:132027. And this prompted leaders from the opposition to speculate about what exactly led to his resignation.
02:22So now what happens? Who performs the Vice President's duties? The Constitution doesn't make
02:27provisions for an acting Vice President. However, since the Vice President also holds the position of
02:33ex-official chairman of the Rajasabha, the Deputy Chairman, currently Harivansh Narayan Singh,
02:39steps in to preside over the House during the Vice President's absence.
02:44And let's tell you now how the VP is elected. The Vice President of India is elected through an
02:50indirect election. According to Article 66 of the Constitution, the Vice President is elected by an
02:56electoral college made up of members from both houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajasabha,
03:02including nominated members. Unlike in a presidential election, state legislatures do not participate.
03:10The election is held by the Election Commission of India by secret ballot using the system of
03:15proportional representation. A single transferable vote is possible. Each member of Parliament marks
03:22preferences for candidates on the ballot paper. A candidate must secure a majority of the valid
03:27votes to be declared elected both houses combined. So who can contest?
03:32Well, a person who is looking to become the next Vice President of India must be a citizen of India,
03:38of course, must be at least 35 years of age, must be qualified to be elected as a member of Rajasabha.
03:45Importantly, the Vice President candidate cannot hold any office of profit and under the state or central
03:51government, except positions like President, Governor or Minister.
03:54Now, the elected candidate, of course, serves a full five-year term from the date of assuming office,
04:04not just the remainder of Dhankar's tenure, but it extends beyond that.
04:08This sudden vacancy is likely to prompt swift political consultations across party lines because the
04:14electoral college of 788 MPs, if I break that down for you, 543 in Lok Sabha, 245 in Rajasabha.
04:22This will soon be called upon to vote for a new Vice President.
04:25Among the Rajasabha members, 12 are nominated MPs who also take part in the voting.
04:30The Election Commission has issued a formal notification. A timeline is expected.
04:35With Justice Yashwant Varma facing impeachment proceedings by Parliament, let's tell you exactly
04:45how it works and what it takes to impeach a judge. First, in the case of Justice Varma,
04:51remember, massive piles of cash were found in a shed in his residence and that's what led to the
04:57impeachment chorus against him. Over 100 signatures have been received for impeachment. To be specific,
05:03152 Lok Sabha MPs and about 60 Rajasabha MPs have submitted notices. So that passes the first
05:11test, which is that an impeachment motion can be moved only with the backing of 100 Lok Sabha
05:16MPs or 50 Rajasabha MPs.
05:26So now it's over to the next step, which is the formation of a three-member judicial committee.
05:31According to the Judges' Inquiry Act, when notices of a motion are submitted on the same
05:36day in both houses of Parliament, a committee to examine the charges levelled against the judge
05:41will be constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajasabha Chairman. Now, this committee will
05:46look into the allegations and if they find merit in the charges against a judge, in this case against
05:52Justice Varma, then it's introduced in Parliament and both houses will have to ensure the impeachment
05:58motion is passed by a special majority. What does that mean? A special majority is essentially
06:04the majority of the two-thirds of the members present in voting, which should not be less than
06:09half of the total strength of the House. But interestingly, no judge has ever been impeached
06:14by Parliament. Supreme Court Judge Justice V. Ramaswamy faced impeachment proceedings in 1993,
06:20the closest a judge came to being impeached. But the motion failed in the Lok Sabha. Then you had
06:26Kalkara High Court Judge Shomitra Sen, who resigned in 2011 after the Rajasabha passed an impeachment
06:32motion against him. So he resigned before the entire impeachment process could be completed.
06:37We'll have to now wait and see if Justice Varma then will become the first judge ever to be impeached.
06:49This is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU.
06:57Two and a half months after India and the United Kingdom finalised a free trade agreement,
07:02Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally sealed the deal with his British counterpart Keir Starmer.
07:07I am wondering that after several years of work,
07:13today, there is a comprehensive economic and trade agreement between both countries.
07:21Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the deal with the government.
07:34It is a deal that will bring huge benefits to both of our countries, boosting wages,
07:40raising living standards and putting more money in the pockets of working.
07:45It is good for jobs, it is good for business, cutting tariffs and making trade cheaper, quicker and easier.
07:55The pact, formally called a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, is expected to come into force
08:00after illegal clearances from the British Parliament, which is expected in a few months from now.
08:05The Union cabinet in India has already okayed the deal, so we've done our bit.
08:10Talks over a free trade deal between India and Britain has been happening for the last many years.
08:14It was initially launched in January 2022. This trade deal finalised after 14 rounds of gruelling talks,
08:22one Indian general election and four UK Prime Ministers is expected to boost bilateral trade
08:28from $57 billion in 2024 to a whopping $120 billion by 2030 in six years time.
08:36So what does India get from this deal? Well, once it's made into a law, 99% of Indian products will receive
08:43duty-free access to the UK market, covering nearly all of India's current trade value.
08:49So we're talking about clothes, footwear, food products, including frozen prawns.
08:54With a zero tariff on textiles and apparel, Indian exports will get the
08:59same advantage as countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
09:02sectors that are likely to benefit from the free trade agreement include textiles, footwear, auto
09:13components, gems and jewellery, furniture, sporting goods, chemicals and machinery. Many of these
09:19currently face tariffs somewhere between 4 to 16% in the UK. Indian manufacturers of electric and hybrid
09:26vehicles will also gain preferential access under a new quota system as per this deal. But it's also
09:32equally beneficial for the United Kingdom. This agreement reduces 90% of tariffs on British exports
09:39to India. In the automobile sector, tariffs on UK made cars currently exceeding 100% will be reduced
09:47to 10% under a quota system. So big, big difference there. As far as other goods go, tariff cuts will
09:53also take place in a range of UK products, cosmetics, salmon, chocolates, biscuits, medical devices. And there's
10:01of course been a lot of talk on alcohol beverages. Import duties on scotch, whiskey and gin will fall from
10:08150% to 75% immediately to 40% over 10 years time as well. Some of the clauses have triggered worries,
10:17companies, however, in the Indian industry. There is this fear that yes, and it's a very well-founded fear,
10:24that there could be cheap imports coming in and these will harm the premium and luxury end of Indian
10:32whiskeys and Indian gins and Indian rums and vodkas, which are gaining a substantial foothold and a year-on-year growth.
10:41British firms in significant shifts will now have access to India's government procurement portal,
10:48which is a rare exception to India's usual make in India priority. So there have been questions about
10:54that. The agreement also liberalizes 36 service sectors, IT, research and development, healthcare,
11:00engineering, education. It allows easier labour mobility, introduces annual additional visas for
11:07Indian professionals, particularly in tech and healthcare. Now the free trade agreement also
11:13includes rather progressive commitments in the services sector and mobility. The UK will offer
11:18temporary access for Indian yoga instructors, for chefs, for musicians and other contractual service
11:25providers. Besides that, Indian professionals posted in the UK will be exempt from paying social security
11:31contributions for up to three years, and that could potentially save 4,000 crore rupees annually.
11:38So at a time when countries are trying to navigate rather turbulent effects of US President Trump's
11:44tariff upheaval, this pact comes as a great economic boost for both India and equally for the United Kingdom.
11:50The MiG-21 fighter jets will retire after 60 years of service, and it's truly the end of an era.
12:01It's over to my colleague Sandeep Unitan to tell you how the MiGs have served the IAF for the last many decades.
12:07The Indian Air Force is set to retire its last two MiG-21 fighter squadrons from the Air Force.
12:15Now that's where the problem begins. The Indian Air Force's squadron strengths would now drop to just 29 fighter squadrons.
12:26That's the lowest number of squadrons that it has had since 1963. That is, since the year that the MiG-21
12:34first came into the Air Force, more than 60 years ago. The Air Force has
12:38a sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons. It is already 13 squadrons below the sanctioned number.
12:49How did the Air Force get to this alarmingly low number of fighter squadrons? Let's look at the
12:56current aircraft in the IAF's inventory to understand this problem. The Air Force has 12 Sukhoi 30 MKI squadrons.
13:03In fact, this is the most numerous aircraft in the Air Force's inventory. It flies over 260 of these Sukhoi 30 MKI's.
13:11It has two Rafale fighter jet squadrons and three Mirage fighter jet squadrons, which it acquired from France
13:20over the last couple of decades. That's five squadrons there. It has three squadrons of MiG-29 interceptor aircraft,
13:29which it bought from the former Soviet Union, and of course six Jaguar strike aircraft, which it acquired
13:37from the UK, license-built it over the last couple of decades. The Jaguar is in fact the second most numerous
13:44aircraft in the Air Force's inventory after the Su-30 MKI. But the problem really is in the
13:50the induction of the LCA Tejas Mark 1A. Now, the LCA Tejas is an aircraft that was meant to replace the
13:59MiG-21 on a one-to-one basis. That is, for every MiG-21 that would be retired from service, one LCA Tejas would take
14:07its place. Now, the Air Force has bet big on the LCA Tejas. It has ordered 83 LCA Tejas Mark 1As from HAL
14:20and has promised another order of 97 Mark 1As. That is a total of 180 LCA Tejas. Now, these are the numbers
14:35that it would need to shore up its declining squadron numbers. The problem is that the LCA Tejas is not
14:44joining the Air Force in the numbers that the Air Force wants. It would need something like 12 to 24
14:52LCA Tejas to join every year to shore up its numbers. But, unfortunately, HAL has not been,
14:58for various reasons, not been able to deliver the LCA Tejas in the numbers that the Air Force wants.
15:04Now, the Tejas, of course, there is no option but to buy and build an indigenous fighter.
15:11The Tejas is critical from that point of view. But, where it gets more critical in the years ahead
15:18is the fact that the Air Force is going to be retiring these two fighter jets completely. Six
15:25squadrons of Jaguars and three squadrons of MiG-29s are completely out in the next couple of years. That's
15:33almost nine squadrons gone. And that's a big hole in the Air Force's capabilities. And for that,
15:38it will need to add more LCA Tejas's numbers. Now, those numbers aren't coming until the time the LCA Tejas does
15:46not come in the numbers that the Air Force wants them. It will never be able to get to, you know,
15:52these 42 squadron numbers that sanction or indeed even the larger number that it's looking at in the
15:59years ahead which is something like 65 fighter squadrons. So, right now, it's all hands on deck for the
16:05Indian Air Force as it bets big time on the LCA Tejas joining it in the numbers that it needs
16:13to make up for its declining squadron numbers.
16:16There's been a whole lot of headlines about the Epstein files,
16:24but if you had no idea about the case or about Jeffrey Epstein, we've got you covered.
16:29Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender who became infamous for
16:34his involvement in a large-scale sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. His case drew international
16:41attention due to the powerful and influential people he was associated with, including politicians,
16:46business leaders and celebrities. He claimed to manage money for billionaires, though the true nature
16:52and scope of his wealth and clients were rather murky and secretive. It was in 2008 that Epstein first
16:59pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He had then served 13 months in a
17:05controversial plea deal that allowed him even work release and shielded many of his associates from
17:10prosecution. That deal then was widely criticized as being overly lenient. But then in 2019,
17:17over 10 years later, Epstein was arrested again by federal prosecutors in New York on charges of sex
17:23trafficking of minors. He was held in jail awaiting trial when he was found dead in his cell in August 2019.
17:31Now, this was officially ruled as suicide, though his death sparked widespread speculation and of course
17:36a whole lot of conspiracy theories. Epstein had connections to numerous high-profile individuals,
17:42including of course British Royal Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton and several others.
17:47But the reason it's making headlines today is because of allegations of his association with US President
17:53Donald Trump. They were known to be good friends. Enter the Epstein files. Documents like court filings
18:01from lawsuits from alleged victims against Epstein and his associates, records from Epstein's private jet,
18:07sometimes called the Lolita Express, which document flights taken by various people to his properties
18:12in New York, in Florida, New Mexico, Paris and even a private island that he owned in the US Virgin Islands.
18:19The FBI has collected substantial evidence from Epstein's properties, computers, photos, documents.
18:26A lot of this remains sealed or classified. So there's been a demand across America to release all the Epstein files
18:33so that his accomplices or aides can also be named publicly. A first tranche of documents were released in February
18:402025. But it was heavily criticized because these documents were either redacted or already public
18:47documents. Thousands more pages remain unreleased. Some requested, but not yet disclosed. But let's
18:53focus here on Donald Trump. What's the allegation against him? The reason Trump is under fire is because
18:59during his 2024 MAGA campaign, Make America Great Again campaign, he had promised that all Epstein files will be
19:06released. And now that he hasn't done it, his own vote bank is targeting him for failing to fulfill that
19:12promise. Secondly, was a damning Wall Street Journal report that published details of a leaked type-written
19:20birthday message allegedly from Trump to Epstein referencing shared secrets with a rather suggestive
19:26nude silhouette sketch. Trump has denied writing it. He filed a $10 billion libel suit against the
19:33Journal and against Rupert Murdoch. He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of
19:41life. I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is. It's pretty boring stuff. It's
19:48sordid, but it's boring. And I don't understand why it keeps going. I think really only pretty bad
19:56people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going. For Trump, the Epstein files has turned
20:02into his biggest weakness and it remains to be seen whether he will fulfill his promise of disclosing
20:07all files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
20:10That's all we have time for in this edition of India Today Explains. Thanks very much for tuning in. I'll see you same time next week.
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