G overnance is hard and good governance, meaning efficient and effective governance, is harder. Optics is a poor substitute for outcomes, but when outcomes are hard to come by through governance, then optics can be relied upon rather than admitting failure.

When the airline business grinds to a halt and airports across India are an angry mess, the solution is to circulate photographs of an airline CEO folding his hands in supplication before the minister. Problem solved. When dozens die in a fire in a structure that shouldn’t have existed, the solution is to bulldoze the remains of the structure. Of course, thousands of such structures remain.

Another satisfactory solution is renaming. In New India, MNREGA will now be called Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Act and expanded. Ten ye

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