Captain Anshuman Singh's Parents Demand Revision Of Next Of Kin Rule (image:x.com/DashuBanna37)

The parents of Captain Anshuman Singh has demanded changes in the Indian Army’s next of kin (NOK) criteria for financial assistance to family members in case of a soldier’s death.

Anshuman Singh, an army medical officer died after sustaining severe burns while saving fellow army officers and retrieving lifesaving medicines from a fire at a medical investigation centre in an Army camp at Siachen in July last year.

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On July 5, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Kirti Chakra award to Captain’s wife Smriti Singh and mother Manju Singh at the Rashtrapati Bhawan for his “act of conspicuous gallantry and sacrifice”. Kirti Chakra is India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.

While speaking to a news channel his father, Ravi Pratap Singh and mother Manju Singh, stated that they want change in NOK rules as their daughter-in-law Manju Singh doesn’t live with them anymore. They add that she has changed her permanent address listed in their son’s office records and currently receiving most entitlements after their son’s death.

“The criteria set to NOK is not correct. have also spoken to defence minister Rajnath Singh about this. Anshuman’s wife does not live with us now, the marriage was just five months old and there is no child. We only have a photo of our son hanging on the wall with a garland on it,” Ravi Pratap Singh told TV9 Bharatvarsh.

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NOK means a person’s spouse, adopted family member or closest living blood relative. When a cadet or officer joins the Army, his parents’ or guardians’ names are recorded as the NOK. Also, as per army rules, when that person gets married, the name of the person’s spouse is recorded as the person’s NOK instead of the parents and if something happens to a personnel in service, the ex-gratia amount is given to the NOK.

“That is why we want the definition of NOK to be fixed. It should be decided that if the wife of the martyr stays in the family, who has how much dependency,” Singh added.

Captain’s mother stated that they want the government to reconsider the NOK rules so that other parents don’t have to suffer.