India, Jan. 25 -- On 1 May 2017, when the Modi government officially banned the use of red beacons on vehicles for all dignitaries and government officials, it was a decisive step to curb what can be termed the "VIP culture" or the culture of entitlement. It was a monumental shift aimed at changing mindsets. The ban on the red beacon was the culmination of a process that began in December 2013, when the Apex Court, in a landmark judgement, ruled that the red beacon should be used only by constitutional authorities. The Court described its widespread use as a "menace to society" and a "symbol of Raj mentality."

While the Supreme Court allowed only a very limited list of dignitaries to retain the beacons, in practice, anyone who could flou...