In April 2017, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned the use of VIP beacons, declaring that vehicles with such lights have no place in a democratic society. This move was celebrated as a significant step towards reducing the culture of entitlement among public officials. However, eight years later, the situation in Uttar Pradesh reveals that while the red lights are gone, the underlying culture remains unchanged. New status symbols, such as multicolored lights, flags, and embroidered insignias, have replaced the beacons, allowing powerful individuals to assert their authority on the roads. Legal restrictions still apply, permitting colored beacons only for emergency and law enforcement vehicles. Critics have pointed out that these new symbols serve the same purpose as the old beacons. Similar trends have been observed in other states, such as Haryana, where MLAs were given red flags for their vehicles. Experts note that simply banning symbols without addressing the mindset behind them is ineffective. The culture of entitlement in India continues to thrive, albeit in more covert forms.