The Central Government has relaxed the mandatory cooling-off period for VK Birdi, making the IGP Kashmir immediately eligible for a fresh deputation to a Central Government assignment ahead of the scheduled completion of his parent cadre tenure.
The exemption was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet following a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking a waiver of the cooling-off requirement for VK Birdi, a 2003-batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer.
Under existing deputation norms, officers returning from Central assignments are required to serve a three-year tenure in their parent cadre before becoming eligible for another deputation to the Government of India. Birdi’s cooling-off period was originally scheduled to conclude in October 2026. However, with the latest relaxation, he is now eligible to be considered immediately for a fresh assignment at the national level.Birdi returned to Jammu and Kashmir in September 2023 after serving with the Central Reserve Police Force and formally rejoined the AGMUT cadre the following month. He subsequently assumed charge as IGP Kashmir and has since overseen policing and security operations across the Valley.
Although no official announcement has been made regarding his next posting, administrative circles view the decision as a strong indication of his likely induction into a significant position under the Central Government.A senior IPS officer with extensive experience in security and law enforcement, Birdi has served in several important positions in Jammu and Kashmir and during his tenure on Central deputation. He was repatriated to Jammu and Kashmir ahead of schedule at the request of the JK Government while serving as IG CRPF, Jharkhand Sector.
An engineering graduate with an MBA, Birdi has held key assignments including SDPO Kothibagh Srinagar, SP City East Srinagar, SSP Kupwara, SSP Special Security Group JK, DIG North Kashmir Range, Baramulla, and DIG Central Kashmir Range, Srinagar. He was serving as DIG Central Kashmir Range at the time of the abrogation of Abrogation of Article 370.
