Army revises stand on tattoos

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tattoos are a problem, but not so much if they are on your inner arm, the Army now says. With a major recruitment rally around the corner, Army recruitment officials here said that tattoos were now permitted on the inner arm. Elsewhere on the body, the ban stands.This is the third time in 20 days that the Army has revised its decision on tattoos. “There is a small change regarding the policy on tattoos. Small tattoos on the inner arm alone will be permitted. We are awaiting further clarifications from the top,” Colonel B K Bharadwaj, Army Recruitment Officer (ARO), Thiruvananthapuram, said.On December 27, Army officials here announced that candidates bearing body art of a permanent nature anywhere on the body will be disqualified. This was based on a directive from the Army HQ. The Army had cited health hazards as the reason for the ban.But the ban was lifted soon after and on January 4, the State Government had come out with a clarification, citing the Army, in this regard. The ban was lifted as a large number of candidates failed to clear Army recruitment rallies across the country solely owing to the tattoo policy.Candidates who had earlier been disqualified because of tattoos were to be examined by a specialist doctor and their application re-considered.At the upcoming recruitment rally in Ernakulam for candidates from the seven southern districts starting January 16, only inner arm tattoos will be permitted. Candidates will be told whether their skin art is of the permitted variety or not during the medical tests, the Army officials said.