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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know U.S. Affairs News India Times (November 23 - November 29, 2024) November 29, 2024 4 Opinion sanctions, is another factor affecting its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With high inflation and signifi- cant poverty levels affecting millions of Indians, afford- able oil remains a priority for India’s economy. According to the Times of India, over 415 million people in India were lifted out of poverty between 2005 and 2021, but another 229 million still live below the poverty line. With such pressing domestic needs, the Indian government justifies its reliance on Russian energy imports as a mea- sure to stabilize prices and maintain economic resilience. RESTORING BALANCE AND REVITALIZING HISTORICAL RECOGNI- TION To counter Russian disinformation and rebuild a balanced narrative, Ukraine needs to engage India on multiple levels, emphasizing both historical ties and new avenues for cooperation. Acknowledging Ukraine’s Soviet-era role in India’s industrial development and promoting current contributions in technology, educa- tion, and agriculture can help counter the oversimplified Russia-centric narrative. Ukrainian diplomacy has an opportunity to foster dialogue and remind Indian policy- makers and the public of Ukraine’s role as a distinct and capable partner. A Path Forward in an Era of Multipolar Engagement As the global order grows increasingly multipolar, In- dia’s approach to Ukraine reflects a pragmatic balance of historical ties, domestic needs, and strategic autonomy. Ukraine’s engagement with India thus needs to account for these factors, finding ways to promote cooperation that aligns with India’s evolving priorities. By framing their relationship in a way that respects India’s neutrality while emphasizing mutual benefits, Ukraine can work to build a foundation for long-term collaboration that resists external distortion and serves both countries’ interests in a shifting geopolitical landscape. In an era where information warfare is as consequen- tial as traditional warfare, Ukraine-India relations stand as a testament to the importance of historical context, economic resilience, and the challenge of navigating narratives shaped by external influences. As Ukraine continues to resist Russian aggression, strengthening its partnership with India will require not only economic and diplomatic outreach but also a nuanced understand- ing of the narratives that influence Indian public and policy sentiment. Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this ar- ticle/column are those of the author(s) and do not neces- sarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald, its editorial team, or its affiliates. South Asian Herald does not endorse any opinions or statements made within the content. (Used under special arrangement with South Asian Herald) - Continued From Page 3 E lon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy vowed “mass head-count reduc- tions” to the federal government in an opinion pieceWednesday that sketched out their vision for Presi- dent-elect Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” in the greatest detail so far. Writing in theWall Street Journal, Musk and Ramaswamy laid out their plans to slash federal regulations, cut govern- ment spending and significantly reduce the number of federal employees. Trump tapped the two with running the DOGE initiative last week, but basic questions about the effort – including its goals, op- erations and authorities – have primarily remained a source of speculation. While their essay left much unclear, tech entrepreneur Musk and Ramaswamy – a former 2024 GOP presidential rival of Trump’s – began to articulate the legal and procedural steps by which they plan to transform federal operations. The DOGE commission, they wrote, will first “work with legal experts embed- ded in government agencies” to identify regulations that Trump can repeal. That effort will rely on “advanced technology,” they said, a potential reference to artificial intelligence. Musk and Ramaswamy argued that recent cases decided by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court will en- able major reductions in federal regula- tions. After Trump “nullifies thousands of such regulations,” DOGE will then work with “embedded appointees” across federal agencies to “identify the minimum number of employees” required for an agency to perform its essential functions. This line appeared to echo Musk’s broader business philosophy and past practices; Musk oversaw the reduction of roughly 80 percent of the staff of Twitter, the social media platform he later renamed X, after he bought it. The DOGE leaders suggested that Trump can unilaterally slash the number of federal employees because many of them will no longer be necessary once the regulations are eliminated. “A drastic reduction in federal regula- tions provides sound industrial logic for mass headcount reductions across the federal bureaucracy,” they wrote. They added that “the number of federal em- ployees to cut should be at least propor- tionate to the number of federal regula- tions that are nullified.” Musk and Ramaswamy did not specify the number of federal employees they envision being cut under their effort. They wrote that “existing laws” can give federal employees “incentives for early retire- ment” and voluntary severance payments to “facilitate a graceful exit.” These proposals could affect not just scores of federal operations but also the Washington area, which is home to hun- dreds of thousands of federal workers. To reduce federal spending, Musk and Ramaswamy also proposed eliminat- ing programs that Congress funds but where specific spending authorization has lapsed, an idea that would ax critical measures including veterans’ health care, initiatives at the State and Justice depart- ments and NASA, and multiple major antipoverty programs. That idea, some budget experts said, demonstrates the pair’s misunderstanding of how the government works. Funding authorizations are often pro forma exer- cises; approving funding without official reauthorizations is one way Congress has found to operate more efficiently. Questions also abound about how they would cut federal regulations. Musk and Ramaswamy signaled they would conduct a broad federal review to expunge regula- tions deemed to be overreaching. To justify their efforts, they pointed to a series of recent Supreme Court rulings that sharply curtailed federal power – including the justices’ decision to revoke a decades-old legal precedent, known as the Chevron doctrine, that had afforded agencies broad policymaking latitude. But the duo did not elaborate on how, exactly, they would accomplish their aim, which is fraught with legal questions and political challenges. In the op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy said “large-scale audits” during “tempo- rary suspension of payments” could yield savings, although they didn’t articulate what that would entail. The op-ed embraces a dramatic change in the balance of power over spending. Trump’s aides have planned to challenge a 1974 budget law that limits the presi- dent’s ability to cease spending on federal programs without congressional approval. If the Supreme Court agrees, theWhite House would dramatically expand its abil- ity to cut programs unilaterally. “Mr. Trump has previously suggested this statute is unconstitutional, and we believe the current Supreme Court would likely side with him on this question,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. They also suggested reprising an effort that faded out at the end of Trump’s first term. In the waning weeks of Trump’s first administration, theWhite House moved forward a controversial policy that would have allowed the president to fire tens of thousands of civil servants and replace them with loyalists. Russell Vought, then the head of theWhite House Office of Management and Budget, and others in the administration believed that career employees across the government were resisting their policies and sought to remove the job projections that have long accompanied the modern federal bureau- cracy. Trump officials focused the effort on mid-and high-ranking professionals in policymaking roles whom they said were impossible to fire, protected by long- standing civil service rules. Each agency By Jeff Stein, Jacob Bogage, Lisa Rein Musk, Ramaswamy Vow ‘Mass Head-Count Reductions’ In U.S. Government Ukraine-India Relations: NavigatingHistorical Ties And Russian Disinformation In ANewGeopolitical Era Vivek Ramaswamy gesturing. Elon Musk PHOTO:X @VivekGRamaswamy PHOTO:X @elonmusk - Continued On Page 5 Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed on this page are those of the authors and Parikh Worldwide Media does not officially endorse, and is not responsible or liable for them.