US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk will lead the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ – a position Trump hinted at during his campaign trail. Musk will head the department alongside Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

“Together, these two 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 said in a statement.

“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 added.

According to Trump, they will drive out the “massive waste and fraud” from the government.

Donald Trump won the presidential elections last week, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris by 69 electoral votes.

During his victory speech, Trump praised Musk and described him as an “amazing and super genius guy”. He also mentioned that the billionaire spent two weeks in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania campaigning with him.

“We have a new star, a star is born: Elon. He’s an amazing guy. We were sitting together tonight. You know, he spent two weeks in Philadelphia, in different parts of Pennsylvania, campaigning,” Trump told his supporters.

Musk, who has been a staunch supporter of Trump, was a key part of the Republican’s Presidential campaign. The Tesla CEO donated over 100 million dollars to Trump’s re-election battle and campaigned aggressively using his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

On November 9, Trump made it even more evident that Musk would be a part of his administration after he reportedly asked him to join a call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a Ukrainian official, Zelensky thanked Musk for the Starlinks and they talked briefly, however, the main conversation was with Trump, reported news agency AFP.

Visibility was impacted early Wednesday morning as the winter sets in. The air quality in Delhi worsened but remained ‘Very Poor’.

A dense layer of smog enveloped Delhi and surrounding regions of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad on Wednesday morning.

Delhi’s air quality index was in the ‘Severe’ category breaching the 400 mark, while that of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad was in the ‘Poor’ category. Faridabad’s AQI, at 188, was ‘Moderate’.

Visibility was poor as the AQI entered the ‘Severe’ category after remaining in the ‘Very Poor’ category for two weeks in Delhi.

VIDEO | Dense #smog cover in parts of Delhi. Visuals from Akshardham area.#DelhiWeather #DelhiPollution

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/nTRkp0W95m

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 13, 2024

The second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital, which entails mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads, and implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

Air quality remained a concern all over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, with three Bihar cities, two Haryana cities and Chandigarh featuring among the top 10 polluted places in the country on Wednesday.

#WATCH | Delhi continues to be covered in a blanket of smog in the mornings as the air quality in the city remains in ‘Very Poor’ category as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

(Visuals from Azadpur Mandi) pic.twitter.com/h9CR1CtRZO

— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2024

The situation is alarming in neighbouring Pakistan, where United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned about the health risks to 11 million children in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province due to worsening air pollution.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’.