This article gives a few examples to illustrate the law of unintended consequences. Our political leaders decided to give Small Scale Industries (SSI) a special place in the economy, to nurture them and to create jobs after independence. Many areas were exclusively reserved for them. They were also given special concessions. The results, however, have been disastrous. Things do not often happen the way we expect them to. Ministers and CEOs frame policies with good intentions. But at the end of the day, the consequences of these policies are very often unintended. Managers and administrators should appreciate this when they take a decision. A few examples will illustrate the point.

In the epic `Mahabharata', Bhishma made Pandu the king on the advice of Vidura though he was younger to Dhritarashtra. The logic was that Dhritarashtra was blind, and a blind man would never be able to govern the kingdom effectively. When Pandu died and Dhritarashtra got his chance, the blind king had a one point agenda on how to perpetuate his dynasty. That is how the animosity between the Pandavas and the Kauravas deepened, finally leading to the war of Kurukshetra. Had Dhritarashtra become king, his confidence in the succession planning mechanism would have remained high. In all probability, he would have remained a titular head. The real powers would perhaps have remained with Pandu, who might have turned out to be a good advisor. It is quite conceivable that Dhritarashtra would not have meted out the unfair treatment he had meted out to the Pandavas. Then Kurukshetra would not have happened.

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