From next month, lal batti or red beacons will be banned for everybody across the country, including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. "There will be no exceptions," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today, announcing after a cabinet meeting that only emergency vehicles like fire engines, ambulances and police vans can have the blue beacon. It is part of the crackdown on VIP culture that many would agree has almost become a part of who we are.