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Akash Bobba, a 22-year-old Indian-origin engineer, has become a key figure in the growing controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This newly formed agency, led by Musk, has caused a stir by recruiting a team of young engineers—Bobba among them—who have been granted unprecedented access to sensitive government systems. The hiring of such inexperienced individuals has sparked concerns about national security and government oversight.
Akash Bobba’s Rapid Rise
Before joining Musk’s DOGE initiative, Bobba was already making waves in the tech world. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MET) program, Bobba’s background was highly impressive. The MET program is renowned for training future leaders in technology and business, and Bobba stood out for his exceptional problem-solving skills and resilience under pressure.
His early career includes internships at Meta, Palantir, and Bridgewater Associates, where he honed his expertise in AI, data analytics, and financial modeling. One viral story from his time at Berkeley demonstrates Bobba’s brilliance—when a classmate accidentally deleted an entire project just days before a deadline, Bobba rewrote the entire codebase overnight, delivering a winning project ahead of schedule.
wait my moot is running the treasury what pic.twitter.com/VUPm2slb4b
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— Aidan McLaughlin (@aidan_mclau) February 3, 2025
The Controversy Surrounding DOGE’s Young Recruits
Despite his credentials, Bobba’s appointment in DOGE has raised eyebrows. Musk’s agency has hired a team of six young engineers, all between the ages of 19 and 24, who now hold official government emails and security clearances. However, none of them have prior experience in public service or government affairs, which has led to serious concerns from security experts and public policy advocates.
The most significant worry is that these young recruits, including Bobba, have been granted top-level security clearance, giving them access to critical U.S. government systems. Security professionals argue that this level of access is typically reserved for highly experienced government officials, not recent graduates with no prior public service experience.
A Potential National Security Risk?
Adding fuel to the fire, reports have emerged that some DOGE personnel, including Bobba’s team, attempted to access classified government data at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). When their actions were blocked by security officials, several of them were placed on leave. This incident has further raised alarms about the potential risks posed by the young team’s access to sensitive government information.
Critics argue that there is a severe lack of oversight and transparency regarding DOGE’s activities. Don Moynihan, a public policy expert at the University of Michigan, noted that these individuals are not career public officials and gaining access to such critical data without sufficient scrutiny is unprecedented. He added, “Congress has no real ability to intervene or monitor what’s happening.”
Is DOGE a Bold Experiment or a Reckless Gamble?
While Musk’s supporters defend the agency as a bold move to modernize government operations, critics view DOGE as an experimental approach that could jeopardize national security. The debate over DOGE’s future is intensifying, with concerns about competence, oversight, and regulatory safeguards coming to the forefront.
For Bobba and his fellow recruits, the spotlight is growing, and the fate of their roles in the agency could depend on upcoming legislative and public scrutiny. As the controversy unfolds, it remains to be seen whether DOGE will be recognized as a visionary government reform or a risky, untested venture.
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