Parents of Siachen hero seek changes to Army's 'next of kin' policy

The parents of Captain Anshuman Singh, an Indian Army medical officer who died heroically during a fire at a Siachen camp last year, are calling for revisions to the Army's 'next of kin' (NOK) criteria. This policy determines financial assistance allocation to family members following a soldier's death.

Captain Singh's wife, Smriti Singh, and his mother recently received the Kirti Chakra from President Murmu, honouring his "act of conspicuous gallantry and sacrifice." However, the captain's parents, Ravi Pratap Singh and Manju Singh, expressed concerns about the current NOK rules in a recent TV interview.

Under existing Army regulations, when a cadet or officer marries, their spouse replaces parents as the designated NOK. The Singhs report that their daughter-in-law no longer lives with them, has changed her address in official records, and now receives most entitlements following their son's death.

"The criteria set for NOK is not correct," Singh stated, revealing he has discussed the issue with the defence minister. He added, "Anshuman's wife doesn't live with us now, the marriage was just five months old, and there is no child."