The push for greater accountability in government is gaining traction, with corporate-style efficiency models being proposed for public offices. Gurmeet Chadha, CIO at Complete Circle, questioned why government employees and public servants should be exempt from rigorous performance reviews, a standard practice in private organizations.

'Narayana Murthy should head DOGE for India'

Chadha suggested that leaders like NR Narayana Murthy, Aditya Puri, Nandan Nilekani, or Anand Mahindra could be brought in to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in India. "I remember having weekly MIS & monthly reviews in every organisation I worked—ACC, HDFC, Nippon, Citibank. Why should govt employees & public servants be any different?" Chadha wrote in a post on X, advocating for digitalization and increased accountability.

Narayana Murthy Advocated 70-hour workweek

Narayana Murthy had previously made headlines for advocating a 70-hour work week for young professionals in India, emphasising the need for increased productivity to drive economic growth. His stance on work ethics aligns with the growing demand for corporate-style efficiency in government operations.

Several users liked the idea on social media. "The names mentioned in the post can be a formidable leadership team. Mr. Puri: Would want everyone to go upto the last-mile and engage with customers. Mr. Nilekani: Would want to digitise every process (think DPI). Mr. Mahindra: Would want people to think creatively. Mr. NRN: Well, we all know what he expects from his team ;)," one user posted.

"One thing babudom does well is to stop these things from happening..If there is one group that has stopped India's economic reforms, it is the Babus.. Not Congress or BJP.. These Babus want to remain relevant and ensure nothing changes status quo," another user said.

US DOGE Doing Federal Employee Reviews

The demand for greater government accountability is not unique to India. In the United States, federal employees were recently instructed to list their weekly accomplishments or risk being considered as resigned. The directive, which received backing from Elon Musk and the Trump administration, has sparked debate over its impact on the workforce.

Over the weekend, US government employees received an email with the subject line "What did you do last week?" requesting them to submit five bullet points summarizing their work by midnight on Monday. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) later confirmed the directive as part of an effort to enhance efficiency and accountability in federal agencies.

Workforce Restructuring and Opposition in US

The restructuring initiative has led to dismissals in several agencies, including the IRS, Pentagon, and FAA. Musk has been a strong proponent of cost-cutting measures under DOGE, with the White House's approval. However, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal workers, strongly opposed the move. "Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people," said AFGE president Everett Kelley, vowing to challenge any unlawful terminations.

Comparisons to Twitter’s Workforce Policies

The approach closely resembles Musk’s management style during his Twitter takeover in 2022, when he required employees to commit to an "extremely hardcore" work culture or resign. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the initiative, describing it as a measure to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. "We're removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent, and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce. We want to make government smaller, more efficient. We want to keep the best people, and we're not going to keep the worst people," Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).