Therein lie the stakes for Dr Manmohan Singh’s government. He has repeatedly put administrative reform at the centre of his prime ministerial agenda. His health minister’s personal dislikes and the politics of quotas cannot be allowed to hijack him to a battle that militates against his larger vision for bureaucratic and institutional competence. He must make this call: there are no gains to be had from returning to court with ever newer charges against Venugopal.