– An Article by Saathwik Shetty
“We’re going to drastically reduce bureaucracy,” said Vivek Ramaswamy when asked about expectations for DOGE in the coming years.
On November 8th, America voted to reinstate Donald Trump as President, making him the first U.S. leader in modern history to return to the White House after losing a prior term. While world leaders and organisations brace themselves to assess how this shift might affect their interests, global curiosity is piqued by one of Trump’s new initiatives: the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative introduced by Donald Trump’s new administration, aimed at streamlining government processes and contributing to his long-standing goal of ‘Making America Great Again.’ Although Trump avoided delving into specifics about DOGE during his campaign trails, he generated significant buzz on social media by announcing the initiative on Twitter. He also revealed that its leadership would be entrusted to two high-profile figures: Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old first-generation Indian-American. Vivek, who had briefly run for the presidency within the Republican Party, later withdrew his candidacy to endorse Trump.
While DOGE has sparked significant curiosity as a seemingly ground-breaking government initiative, it is not the first of its kind. A similar concept was championed by Bharath’s current administration as part of their 2014 election campaign. Often referred to as ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,’ this approach has been a cornerstone of Bharath’s governance model, emphasizing streamlined administration and efficiency in public service.
The concept of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ is undeniably appealing. It envisions a government that operates with efficiency and effectiveness, suggesting that a leaner bureaucracy staffed with skilled professionals can achieve better outcomes than an expansive one. At its core, the idea seeks to minimize governmental interventions in daily life, empowering citizens to take charge of their development while contributing to the nation’s progress.
This vision of a lean and efficient government hinges on a crucial condition: the presence of skilled individuals and, more broadly, the placement of the right people in the right positions. Achieving this requires a foundation of domain expertise, coupled with a strong grasp of multidisciplinary policies and the ability to make swift, informed decisions. It underscores the need for an ecosystem rooted in an education system that prioritizes the development of such a skilled workforce. Additionally, organizations and government bodies capable of supporting bureaucracy with reliable, research-driven data are essential for realizing this vision.
From Bharath’s perspective, achieving this vision poses significant challenges, particularly due to various socio-economic factors that have resulted in widespread reservations across nearly all government sectors. Additionally, Bharath’s education system, which remained largely unchanged until the reforms introduced in 2019, has a crucial role to play in addressing these issues. Modernizing education to align with evolving global needs is essential for fostering a workforce capable of driving efficient governance.
Beyond this, Bharath must invest in cultivating a culture of intellectual negotiation—an indispensable foundation for effective policymaking and governance processes. Acknowledging these challenges, the current Bharath Government has undertaken a multifaceted approach to address them, blending educational reforms, administrative innovation, and strategic policymaking to pave the way for a more efficient and equitable system.
Bharath’s government, along with its people, has demonstrated a strong inclination for rapid technological adoption. Among the many initiatives leveraging technology are several transformative efforts: the elimination of interviews for government jobs to ensure transparency, the introduction of the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) to address day-to-day citizen grievances efficiently, and DigiLocker, a one-stop digital repository for government-certified documents.
In addition, the government’s focus on improving the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ marks a significant step forward. One notable reform is the streamlining of labour regulations, which were consolidated from 29 laws into just four comprehensive labour codes, making compliance simpler and creating a more business-friendly environment. Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato, recently pointed out how the rise of unicorns like his own would have been unimaginable a decade ago in Bharath. Prime Minister Modi has been a strong advocate for these reforms, often highlighting the government’s efforts to modernize governance. In his speeches, he pointed out that during the first three years of his tenure, the government repealed 1,200 outdated laws dating back to British colonial rule.
Bharath’s government recognizes that this transformation will not happen overnight, given the current ecosystem, but it holds a long-term belief that, by 2047, the nation will be governed by diligent civil servants who will serve with utmost efficiency. While this may not be the case in the United States, which already has a more established merit-based system, it’s clear that implementing such a transformation is no easy feat. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, especially since Trump has set a deadline of July 2026 for the initiative—giving Americans a “present” in time for the country’s 250th Independence Day.
In his first month in office, President Javier Milei of Argentina made bold moves, slashing 50,000 government jobs, eliminating half of the ministries, and reducing thousands of regulations, all to implement his vision of ‘Minimal Government, Maximum Governance. As a result, Argentina’s inflation dropped drastically, achieving the first surplus in 123 years. Upon assuming office, the local media termed him as “El Loco” (The Madman).
In conclusion, I believe this represents another ‘Vishwa-Guru’ moment for Bharath, much like the global success of UPI payments or the recognition of International Yoga Day.
