Centre waives cooling-off period for V K Birdi

New Delhi, May 31: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved waiver of the mandatory cooling-off period for Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, paving the way for his immediate deputation to the Central Government in relaxation of the existing IPS Tenure Policy.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, the approval was granted on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had forwarded the proposal through its communication dated April 10, 2026.
The order stated that, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for waiving of the “cooling off” period for central deputation, in respect of Shri Vidhi Kumar Birdi, IPS (AGMUT:2003), in relaxation of IPS Tenure Policy.”
The decision assumes significance as Birdi is presently serving as IGP Kashmir and has been supervising policing, law and order management, counter-terror operations, and security-related matters across the Kashmir Valley.
Under existing central deputation guidelines, IPS officers returning from central assignments are generally required to complete a three-year cooling-off period in their parent cadre before becoming eligible for another deputation to the Government of India.
Birdi had returned to Jammu and Kashmir after serving on deputation with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), where he held the rank of Inspector General. He was prematurely repatriated from the CRPF in September 2023 and sent back to his parent cadre for posting in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following his return, he formally joined the AGMUT cadre on October 13, 2023 and was subsequently posted as Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone.
As per the normal deputation rules, Birdi’s cooling-off period was scheduled to conclude on October 13, 2026. However, the latest ACC decision has effectively waived the remaining period, making him immediately eligible for a central posting nearly four months ahead of schedule.
Birdi originally belonged to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre of the IPS. Following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and merger of the J&K cadre into the AGMUT cadre after the abrogation of Article 370, he became part of the AGMUT cadre.
The waiver has fuelled speculation within administrative and security circles that the Centre may be considering Birdi for an important assignment in a central security or intelligence-related organisation, although no official posting order has been issued so far.
The relaxation granted by the ACC reflects the Centre’s prerogative to exempt officers from cooling-off requirements in exceptional cases where their services are considered necessary for specific assignments at the national level. (JKNS)