Days after Captain Anshuman Singh was awarded India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, posthumously, his parents have urged the Indian Army to make changes to its ‘next of kin’ protocol.
What are Indian Army’s ‘next of kin’ rules?
Days after Captain Anshuman Singh was awarded India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, posthumously, his parents have urged the Indian Army to make changes to its ‘next of kin’ protocol. Captain Singh laid down his life trying to rescue others in a fire incident in Siachen, last year. The award was given by President Droupadi Murmu to his widow, Smriti Singh, and mother Manju Singh on July 5. However, now Singh’s parents say that their daughter-in-law Smriti has taken the Kirti Chakra away.
What are the Indian Army’s next of kin rules?
A person’s spouse, nearest relative, family member or legal guardian is considered the ‘next of kin’. According to Army regulations, if an incident affects someone in service, an ex-gratia payment is provided to the next of kin (NOK).
When a person enlists in the Army, their parents or guardians are registered as their next of kin (NOK). According to regulations, when a cadet or officer gets married, their spouse is classified as their next of kin, instead of their parents.
How did Captain Singh die?
Captain Singh was stationed with the 26 Punjab Regiment as a medical officer in the Siachen Glacier area. Last year, on July 19, a short circuit caused a fire in an Indian Army ammunition dump around 3 am. Captain Singh noticed a fiberglass hut engulfed in flames and immediately acted to save those trapped inside before he died.
