Srinagar, May 31: The Centre has waived the mandatory cooling-off period for senior IPS officer and IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, making him eligible for a fresh central deputation ahead of schedule.
According to an order issued on May 30, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved a proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs to exempt Birdi from the cooling-off requirement that normally applies before an officer can take up another assignment at the Centre.
The decision is significant as Birdi was repatriated prematurely from the Central Reserve Police Force in September 2023 while serving as Inspector General. He was sent back to his parent cadre and subsequently posted in Jammu and Kashmir.
A 2003-batch IPS officer, Birdi originally belonged to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, which was merged with the AGMUT cadre following the reorganisation of the former state after the abrogation of Article 370.
After rejoining the AGMUT cadre on October 13, 2023, he was appointed Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone. Under prevailing deputation rules, officers are generally required to complete a three-year cooling-off period in their parent cadre before becoming eligible for another central assignment. In Birdi’s case, that period was scheduled to end in October 2026.
With the ACC now waiving the requirement, Birdi has become immediately eligible for a fresh posting at the Centre, fuelling speculation that he may be under consideration for a key assignment in the Union government.
