The parents of the late Captain Anshuman Singh, who received the posthumous Kirti Chakra award for his heroic actions, have appealed for changes to the Indian Army’s criteria regarding financial support for families of deceased soldiers. Captain Anshuman Singh tragically lost his life while saving his fellow soldiers from a fire at Siachen in July of last year. Ravi Pratap Singh and Manju Singh, his parents, voiced their concerns in an interview, pointing out that their daughter-in-law, Smriti Singh, no longer lives with them but continues to receive a significant portion of the entitlements after their son’s demise.
Call for NOK Rule Revision
Ravi Pratap Singh expressed his dissatisfaction with the current Next of Kin (NOK) criteria, discussing his discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter. He highlighted that Anshuman’s wife, who no longer resides with them and was married to their son for only five months without children, is benefiting from the current system. Ravi Pratap Singh stressed the necessity for a reassessment of the NOK definition, proposing that the dependency of the martyr’s wife who remains within the family should be taken into account.
Manju Singh echoed these sentiments, underlining the significance of amending NOK rules to prevent other parents from encountering similar difficulties.
Understand the Concept of NOK
As per Army regulations, the Next of Kin (NOK) is the designated recipient of the ex-gratia amount in case of an incident involving a serving military personnel. Initially, when an individual joins the Army, the names of their parents or guardians are registered as the NOK. However, upon the marriage of a cadet or officer, the spouse’s name supersedes that of the parents as the designated NOK based on Army guidelines.