A paradox of Indian governance is that people will be faulted for trying to cope with the failure of governments to do what they are supposed to do. Delhi, for example, was planned in a way that it developed as a sprawl, forcing people to rely on personal vehicles in the absence of reliable public transport but that is now held against them.
Another paradox is that where it is needed, the government will be missing in action, but will show up in places where it is not required. An example is the agriculture ministry’s assumption of powers in December to regulate the prices of Bt cottonseeds when stiff competition among sellers is keeping them in check as it is, but the failure to enforce rules to prolong its resistance to deadly pests like the pink bollworm.