India, May 17 -- Even as the centre and state government roll out austerity measures, a five-member delegation led by chief economic advisor to the chief minister, Pravin Pardeshi, has flown to Denmark on a study tour. The expenses may be borne by the Danish government, but the optics are unmistakable - austerity, it appears, has its exceptions.

As soon as the prime minister urged citizens and state governments to tighten their belts a week ago, in light of the economic fallout of the West Asia war, the Maharashtra government moved swiftly to fall in line. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the cancellation of foreign tours and urged ministers and bureaucrats to conduct official meetings online to cut fuel consumption, one of the...