HOME       Contact Us      Hire Us       Domestic Airlines        Railway Enquiry     Railway Booking     Hotels & Flights Abroad
NEIGHBOURS CALLING:      Dubai      Malaysia     Nepal     Bhutan
Yogi Logo
indiatraveltimes.com
Yogi Logo
Trump names Musk, Ramaswamy to head 'Department of Efficiency': Who will call the shots in America

  • A President-elect at the instance of 'sensible' aides has declared, “A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America.” A Trump statement said he will chop off the bureaucratic flab, or in his own words, “drain the swamp” in Washington. This contrasts with India where millions and millions of clerks rule the roost with the blessings of petty vote bank politicians, who badly needed them, all these 77 years.
  • The South African migrant who will benefit more than Trump himself from the election victory has climbed to the helm - Elon Musk will be the monarch of all he surveys in Washington!
  • Musk will lead a 'Department of Government Efficiency' with Vivek Ramaswamy, the eccentric dreamer.
  • They will slash bureaucracy and Government spending and restructure Federal agencies. (But no mention of what next and how!)
  • The irony lies here: Musk will also be the boss of all Federal agencies, including those currently investigating business frauds in his own companies like Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink, which receive Government funding, inter alia making him the richest man on earth.

WASHINGTON, Nov 13: Guided by his aides, President-elect Donald Trump has announced his revolutionary plan of action to make America stronger and redeem his campaign promses to the electorate. He will assume office on January 20, 2025.

To achieve what he has promised to "Make America Great Again" (MAGA), Trump has borrowed a clip from Vivek's proposal to throw away the budget and instead focus on needs, not outlays. Even as rehashing of budgets year after year makes economists out of politicians here and elsewhere.

In a statement released Tuesday, Trump said Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink CEO and tech magnate Elon Musk will lead a so-called 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE), an acronym of the dog-themed cryptocurrency, alongside entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, mainly to regulate Federal spending and weed out unproductive bureaucracy and obsolete regulations to usher in an efficient administration. However, if it is to be official it has to be created by an act of the Congress as per the statute.

"Together, these two (businessmen) wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement," Trump wrote.

"I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans," he said.

Trump says he wants to cut down civilian workforce and scrap protections for civil servants, remove "rogue bureaucrats,” clean out national security and intelligence agencies and “immediately” shift the Federal agencies out of Washington.

During the election campaign Trump had spoken of creating a slot in the White House for Musk, the richest man on earth. Musk had proposed a "government efficiency commission" during his talks with Trump on X during the campaign.

Musk and Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, are thus officially inducted into Trump's administration.

“Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion dollars of Government spending,” Vivek had said.

However, on environmental issues Trump and Musk do not meet and they do not want to touch the matter. While Trump ignores concerns about environment, Musk's business of electric vehicles exploits concerns over climate change.

About staff reduction, the X workforce was cut from 8,000 to 1,500 people after Musk took over.

During the campaign Musk had said Fed budget could be cut by $2 trillion. Vivek also had proposed slashing the Federal reserve workforce by at least 90%.

Trump said Musk and Vivek would complete their work by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.

Footnote: “Between Tesla, Starlink & Twitter, I may have more real-time global economic data in one head than anyone ever,” Musk had posted on X.

ADVERTISEMENT

SELECTIONS FROM OUR ARCHIVES

The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.

The irony lies in her illustration of her experiences in the country she has been living in for the last four years. What it really is!

ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

  • The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
  • The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
  • The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Files
ARCHIVES

ADVERTISEMENT

Neighbours
Calling

Bhutan
Nepal
Malaysia
Dubai

Modi hoists saffron flag atop Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, marking completion of temple construction
Guru Purnima celebrations on Thursday, July 10: Why Hindus celebrate Guru Purnima; its significance
Krystyna Pyszková passes on Miss World crown to Opal Suchata from Thailand
Amarnath yatra commences on July 3, concludes on Aug 9; registration dates to be announced
Maha Kumbh Mela: Millions of pilgrims take holy dip at Triveni Sangam in Prayag on Vasant Panchami
Veteran Malayalam playback singer P Jayachandran passes away at 80 after prolonged illness
Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple opens for annual Mandala, Makaravilakku pilgrimage festivals
PM inaugurates RJ Sankara Eye Hospital in Varanasi
Swaminarayan temple in New York's Melville vandalised
10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations end with idol immersion

Fashion & Lifestyle
Cuisines
Yoga & Asanas
Fairs, Festivals & Melas
Religion & Cult
Pilgrimage
Art & Culture
History, Legends & Mythology
Ayurveda
Free Ayurveda Consultation
ADVERTISEMENT

ARCHIVES
A Window On India
Fashion & Lifestyle
Yoga & Asanas
Fairs, Festivals & Melas
Religion & Cult
Pilgrimage
Art & Culture
History, Legends & Mythology
Ayurveda
News (Archives)
Travel News
Travel News Archives
Travel News Index



Custom Search


Home
Contact Us

NOTE: Free contributions of articles and reports may be sent to: IndiaTravelTimes[at]gmail[dot]com

DISCLAIMER
All Rights Reserved © 2026 www.indiatraveltimes.com