What Modi Can Learn From Trump's DOGE

'Our politicians solely depend on bureaucrats who are unaccountable and follow their own agenda.'
'Our politicians would dare not dream of establishing a DOGE,' argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd)

US President-elect Donald Trump's decision to establish a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is to reign in the superfluous expanse and expenditure of government machinery.

Trump named former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lead DOGE, also laying down that DOGE must complete its work by July 4, 2026.

Ramaswamy and Musk will not be cabinet members and are not subject to senate confirmation since DOGE will not be an official government agency.

Announcing DOGE, Trump said some federal agencies will be 'deleted outright' and contractors may see 'massive cuts' in what they can charge when the incoming administration takes office next year.

In a post on X, DOGE has called for individuals to work 80 or more hours per week ahead of Trump taking office on January 20, 2025.

Speaking earlier as the presidential candidate, Ramaswamy had called for eliminating or restructuring several agencies like the FBI, the Department of Education, the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a recent interview, Ramaswamy talked of mass reductions in areas of federal government that are bloated and certain agencies to be deleted outright; massive waste, fraud, and abuse right; federal contractors exploiting federal government; need to address failures of executive branch; unelected bureaucrats in administrative state created through executive action running the government; most people making these decisions from health care to the department of defense are failing in effectiveness because of no accountability; 'DOGE is about restoring self-governance and accountability; we're going to use the environment given by the supreme court extensively to move quickly.'

Can India learn something from the above with the administration at the Centre and state levels in far worse state, with the cliche 'minimum government, maximum governance' running in reverse?

An erudite-scholar veteran close to the inner circle writes, "That's because the bureaucracy has total control on governance from district to Cabinet. Babus have all the evidence of corruption of politicians, so babus are safe."

"In the present context, the prime minister is totally dependent on babus, ditto when he was chief minister. Ministers are on the fringe."

Another adds, "Focus on religion-based politics is to hide this as well as the fear of being questioned -- so no press conferences."

Looking at the gas chamber Delhi-NCR has become, do we need an environment and health ministry? Isn't it getting worse every winter with no one having a clue what to do?

But studies and theories abound, like it is because of the farm fires; not farm fires, it is the SUVs; it is all because of emissions from the power plants; culprit is the garbage recycling units, so on and so forth.

The blame game continues unabated. The Supreme Court steps in to order implementation of GRAP and decries rampant felling of trees, but who is bothered?

The National Green Tribunal may make selective noise but the Centre and state government are sans accountability.

Akin to demonetisation ending terrorism in J&K, the Centre has capped the AQI at 500, so even when it crosses the 1500 mark, monitoring agencies peg the AQI at 499.

It is a death warrant for those already suffering from respiratory diseases. Elders and children are at serious risk. Air purifiers are insufficient in number and mostly dysfunctional.

The Delhi government has accused Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav for repeatedly blocking requests for artificial rain. After all, Delhi elections are slated for February 2025 and the state government must be shown in the worst light.

If push comes to shove, expect Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to announce in the winter session of Parliament, 'We consulted 158 countries and decided to prepare the population for chemical warfare since WW III is about to break out.' He will probably say this sitting because he expects PoK to fall into his lap anytime.

Look at the mess in Manipur. Chief Minister Biren Singh has discovered to his horror that the Kuki-Zos won't take it lying down any more.

So scapegoats are being found with stories of some Manipur police personnel resigning or sacked who have joined Arambai Tenggol.

But what is the accountability of the home minister and the NSA?

'Nation First' is a casualty just as the slogan of 'Neighbours First' has been disastrous in execution, notwithstanding the chest-thumping over China allowing patrolling in our own territory after a lapse of four years leading to a false sense of security.

Veteran Lieutenant General P G Kamath explains China's deviousness in his article Only The Naive Trust China (external link).

But our politicians solely depend on bureaucrats who are unaccountable and follow their own agenda.

The Centre played the drama of lateral induction at joint secretary level (not in the defence ministry) but placing them under IAS bosses, which ensured the end of the experiment.

There is little chance of bureaucratic rule ending in India.

For the same reason, the highly publicised restructuring of the Defence Research and Development Organisation is stalled.

The politicians would dare not dream of establishing a DOGE.

Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd), PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SC is a former Special Forces officer.
He is a third generation army officer and participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan War and in Operation Bluestar.
He commanded a Special Forces Battalion in Sri Lanka, a Brigade on the Siachen Glacier, a Division in Ladakh and a Strike Corps in the South Western Theatre.