Editorial A textbook case of governance by impulse

The government’s decision to reverse the order on pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all phones shows the pitfalls of arbitrary and ill-considered decision-making on matters of vital importance to people. The decision faced widespread criticism from the first day, and the government went through a series of flip-flops and cumulative climbdowns ending in its reversal. It first softened its position with the statement that those did not want the app could delete it. Then it said it could modify the decision based on public opinion. Within hours, it withdrew the order. It is clear that the all-round criticism, particularly the opposition from technology companies such as Apple and Google, forced the government to retract. The incident should serve as a lesson for the government, an