VIP culture is back in the news. It all started when a video of an IAS probationer roaming the streets of Pune in a private luxury vehicle surfaced. The vehicle had red, blue and white beacons and a ‘Maharashtra Government’ sticker. Since then, a lot has come to light about the conduct of the officer and her family. The government has set up a panel to investigate the allegations against her. On Tuesday, the LBS National Academy of Administration, the training institute for future civil servants, halted her district training programme in Maharashtra and called her back to Mussoorie for ‘further necessary action’.
But it is Pooja Khedkar’s love for the ‘lal batti’ that first brought her into the limelight and became a topic of discussion in the media. The reason could be that after the Supreme Court’s intervention and the Cabinet’s decision, the VIP culture has become a thing of the past. Clearly, it is not and the mindset that drives officers to illegally assert their authority in this manner still persists.
The rulebook is clear
But what are the rules governing the use of beacon lights? The Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1989 lays down clear guidelines on the installation of lights on vehicles. Violating these rules is not to be taken lightly and can lead to legal consequences, even though the de facto ‘red beacon’ culture has flourished unchecked for decades. Anyone can remember a time when Indian roads were filled with government vehicles with red and yellow lights, often accompanied by the sound of sirens. This phenomenon, known as the ‘VIP culture’, created a huge social divide: the common people on one side and these so-called VIPs on the other.
When I took over as Transport Commissioner in 2015, this VIP culture was everywhere. Countless officials and even ordinary citizens violated the law by installing unauthorised beacon lights on their vehicles. My efforts to enforce the rules faced a lot of resistance. One particular example is worth mentioning. A senior officer, when instructed to remove an illegally installed red beacon, told me, ‘What you are doing will not have good consequences.’ It was a veiled threat that my actions would not have good consequences.
A similar incident happened during my tenure as Nashik Collector. At the Kumbh Mela in 2003, the situation turned tense when a revered sadhu was denied permission to use a red beacon. The situation was defused only after the timely intervention of the then Nashik Mayor, who explained to the sadhu that the administration would not bend to the rules under any circumstances.
Intervention of the Supreme Court
The red light had become a real scourge, being used to show one’s status rather than for emergency services like law enforcement, defense and firefighting. Even in states where the law was supposed to be followed, its abuse was rampant, and the law enforcement machinery seemed incapable of curbing it.
Realising the gravity of the problem, the Supreme Court had in 2013 directed the Centre to frame and enforce rules to curb this malpractice. As a result, on April 19, 2017, the Centre, through a cabinet decision, took steps to put an end to the VIP culture. This resulted in a notification on May 1, 2017 under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, banning the use of beacon lights on vehicles of representatives of all state authorities, from the President and Prime Minister to public representatives and government officials. With this, the era of VIP culture officially came to an end.
Exception
The new rules provide exceptions for essential services. Police vehicles, units of the defence department, paramilitary forces, emergency vehicles responding to natural disasters and fire engines are allowed to use such lights, but only while on duty. At all other times, the lights must be off. The rules are stringent, requiring each state’s transport department to publish a list of authorised vehicles annually and to affix a sticker displaying the authorisation designation and vehicle number, along with a watermark and hologram to prevent tampering.
reality is harsh
Despite these clear rules, enforcement has been lax. Today, any vehicle that illegally passes a red light must be prosecuted. It is the responsibility of the transport department (RTO) and the police to ensure that the rules are followed. Unfortunately, the RTOs, apparently busy with other ‘important’ tasks, are indifferent, allowing the malpractice to continue.
It’s about equality
The Prime Minister’s tweet after the official abolition of VIP culture needs to be reiterated: This is a symbol of a larger fight against deep-rooted inequalities and the quest for a society where every citizen enjoys equal respect and dignity.
(The author is a former IAS officer)
