Why Gazetted Officers Only Use Green Ink Pens – News18

Everyone on the school premises, from the principal to the teachers and students, is expected to adhere to a specific code of conduct, which includes guidelines regarding the use of pens. While teachers typically use red-ink pens, students are restricted to using blue and black ones exclusively. However, an intriguing exception arises among gazetted officers, who opt for green ink pens. A Quora user, Kshitij Raj, initiated a discussion about why these officers exclusively use green ink pens for their official work. Various users proposed a range of reasons for this peculiar choice.

Kshitij Raj asserted that officials at all levels are prohibited from using green ink pens, reserving them solely for gazetted officers. The primary rationale behind this choice is purportedly the added difficulty it presents in attempting to replicate their signatures. Nevertheless, Kshitij acknowledged that even with green ink, signature forgery remains a possibility.

He further elaborated that green ink signatures carry an air of authenticity, making them distinctively appear as the handiwork of a gazetted officer. Additionally, the use of green ink serves as a means for these officers to distinguish themselves from their colleagues.

Former State Bank of India employee, Madhukar Pare, corroborated these claims on Quora, attributing this practice to protocol adherence and as a symbolic display of officer status. Madhukar noted that even Assistant General Managers and Inspectors within the State Bank of India utilize green ink pens. Notably, other levels of bank employees and officers also adhere to predetermined ink colours, but this arrangement is exclusive to the bank’s premises.

However, it is essential to consider that the Quora responses mentioned cannot be deemed reliable sources for such information. News 18 Hindi conducted its investigation into the matter and discovered that there is no official rule mandating gazetted officers to use green ink pens. Instead, many officers choose green ink merely to distinguish their signatures from those of clerical employees and juniors. Some reports suggest that green pens are also employed for document attestation. Ultimately, this practice appears to be a trend without a specific regulatory basis.