Third eye: Naidu's tough decision, hectic NY eve, and a first for Maha Kumbh

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has a very tough decision to make over the next few days as chief secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad is retiring on January 31. Naidu has to choose the state’s top officer to lead his development agenda. The senior-most 1988 batch IAS officer Y Srilakshmi is unlikely to be considered because of her proximity to the previous administration. Those in the know say two officers — G Sai Prasad (1991 batch) and K VIjayanand (1992 batch) —have emerged as the frontrunners and the politicians are weighing this decision through the caste prism as Prasad is a Kamma (Naidu's caste) and Vijayanand belongs to the backward community.

Hectic New Year’s Eve for Govt Officials
It is unlikely to be a relaxed New Year's eve for a lot of central ministries and officials as PM Narendra Modi is expected to hold a review on infrastructure development on December 31. Several infrastructure ministries and departments are holding hectic meetings to ready presentations and sectoral progress reports for the big day.

In a 1st, Underwater Drones Deployed for Maha Kumbh
In a first, "underwater drones" capable of diving up to 100 meters will be deployed during the upcoming Maha Kumbh to provide round-the-clock surveillance at Sangam area in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, the culture ministry ha-s said. Besides, renovation of 92 roads, construction of 30 pontoon bridges and installation of 800 multilingual signages are being undertaken to facilitate the pilgrims and other visitors showcasing India's culture and diversity. Under PM Modi's leadership, the UP government is making "extensive preparations to ensure that Maha Kumbh 2025 is a grand, safe and spiritually enriching event", the ministry said.