Captain Anshuman Singh’s parents seek revision of ’next of kin’ policy:’Wife gets money, while we have our son’s photo’

Days after their son was awarded the posthumous Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry honor, the parents of Captain Anshuman Singh are urging revisions to the Indian Army's 'next of kin' (NOK) policy. This policy dictates the allocation of financial assistance to families in the event of an army personnel's death, as per a report by TV9 Bharatvarsh.

Ravi Pratap Singh and Manju Singh, the late officer’s parents, voiced their concerns in an interview with TV9 Bharatvarsh. They believe the NOK rules need to be "revisited," noting that Smriti Singh, their daughter-in-law, receives most of the entitlements following Anshuman's death but no longer resides with them.

Captain Anshuman Singh tragically lost his life in a fire incident in Siachen in July last year while on duty.

“The criteria set for NOK is not correct. I have also spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding this. Anshuman's wife does not live with us now…their marriage was only five months old, and they have no child. Though we are the co-recipients of his Kirti Chakra, we only have our son's photo hanging on the wall with a garland on it,” Ravi Pratap Singh told the news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh.

“Hence, we want NOK's definition to be fixed. It should be decided that the martyr's wife must stay with his family, who now has many dependencies,” he added, as quoted by the news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh.

Manju Singh echoed her husband’s sentiments, emphasizing that they seek policy changes to prevent other parents from enduring similar hardships, as per the news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh.

What are NOK rules?

Under the current policy, when a person joins the army, the names of their parents or guardians are recorded as their 'next of kin,' signifying their closest relatives. However, once the individual marries, their spouse replaces the parents in the NOK record.