or may not be attained surely a more nuanced solution that took more variables on board could have been adopted instead of a single sweeping ruling of this kindthere is a larger problem here a law of this kind is an admission of our inability to provide everyday unspectacular governance we constantly impose flashy regulatory solutions on routine administrative problems in this case a law exists against drunken driving as mumbai has shown when local authorities are determined to crack down on drunken driving they can achieve dramatic results on highways it is hardly difficult to set up check posts that monitor alcohol levels of drivers randomlysince our system does not function efficiently we find ways around it decisions of this kind are shortcuts little more than acts of jugaad the use of legislative or judicial brahmastras has become rampant today the problem is that in the absence of an administrative process that works as it is meant to the use of more and more powerful actions ends up creating a new pattern of disorder the intended consequences dont quite materialise while unintended consequences abound of course as is common in such cases every action intended to bypass an extractive bureaucracy creates more of itafter this ruling the police still need to check for drunken driving but excise and other officials now need to ensure that no one is serving alcohol within 500 metres of highways all over the country a case by case review will now be needed to determine which businesses are exempt and which ones need to shut downthis is a common pattern we prefer to ban a maggi rather than get our food licensing right we ban a film rather than provide protection against the unruly protestors the ban is the lazy and undemocratic way out by avoiding doing anything to make our everyday systems work better we are constantly ruling by exception we focus on individuals rather than mechanisms and processes media coverage too focuses compulsively on specific instances rather than general principles the fondness for big solutions that do not require messy everyday management makes us inept when faced with more complex problems traffic pollution public sanitation these are issues that become intractable in the absence of a functioning system of everyday governance a problem like dengue for instance defeats us for there is no legislative tantrum we can throw nothing that we can ban with immediate effectwithout an administrative overhaul we are condemned to live day to day buffeted around by the last loud voice we have to listen tolast week it was that of the supreme court that with all good intentions ended up hurting about a million employees a few months ago it was the move to demonetize 85 of our currency we await the next loud voice to ban something big it gives us the illusion of action and it is a good substitute for real governance