UNITED NATIONS – Well into his last year in office, Secretary-General Annan intends to name India’s Deputy National Security Adviser, Vijay Nambiar, for a top position in his office next month, according to senior U.N. officials. The nomination, which is yet to be announced officially, has raised speculations in Asia that Mr. Nambiar will be involved in the decision on the next secretary-general.

Mr. Annan’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, declined yesterday to confirm the nomination but a senior official, who asked for anonymity, told The New York Sun that due to recent departures of top advisers to Mr. Annan,”there is a need on the 38th floor for a top official who comes from the south,” a term used to describe the developing world.

The need for a new top official, according to the official, will become even acute once the Deputy Secretary General Louise Frechette leaves office. “There is no person from the secretariat currently to receive visitors,” the official said, referring to world dignitaries that Mr. Annan’s schedule does not always to permit meeting with. Mr. Nambiar will be described as a special adviser with the rank of undersecretary general, the official said.

In addition to Ms. Frechette, a Canadian who is leaving to pursue an academic career after being harshly criticized by the oil-for-food report under Paul Volcker, many of Mr. Annan’s longtime advisers who are from developing countries have either departed or left their former posts: Among them is former chief of staff, Iqbal Riza, a Pakistani who has been accused by Mr. Volcker of shredding oil-for-food-related documents; Special adviser Lakhdar Brahimi, and Algerian, and former head of the internal U.N. watchdog, OIOS, Dileep Nair, a Singaporean Indian, who since last June has been under investigation for wrongdoing while in office.

Until last year, when he joined the government in New Delhi, Mr. Nambiar was his country’s U.N. ambassador.