The ministry had earlier withdrawn the 'X' category security given to 30 people, including former chief justice Y.S. Sabharwal and former Congress MP and film actor Govinda.

VIP security is broken up into four levels -- 'Z plus' for the top of the heap, followed by 'Z', 'Y' and 'X' categories. The categories are determined according to threat perceptions.

The ministry is also mulling to review the number of categories and introduce some more. This will allow the ministry to reduce the number of security personnel given to each VIP.

Over 9,000 personnel, mainly from Delhi Police, supplemented by hundreds of paramilitary personnel drawn from forces like the CRPF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the CISF, provide security to the VIPs.

The number of armed bodyguards has often been seen as a status symbol, the major reason why VIPs are so reluctant to have their security cover reduced.

Officials pointed out that the government spends over Rs.250 crore (Rs.2.5 billion) annually for the protection of VIPs.

Appraisals of all the people protected, that the home ministry periodically reviews after receiving inputs from the Intelligence Bureau, have revealed that many of them do not require security as the threat perception simply does not exist.