Captain Anshuman Singh: What is NOK, why did the parents of martyr Captain Anshuman demand a change in it?

Captain Anshuman Singh's wife Smriti and mother Manju had received the martyr's Amanat Kirti Chakra from the President just 3 days ago. Captain Anshuman, who made the supreme sacrifice for the country in Siachen, has been awarded this honor posthumously. Now his parents have demanded a change in the criteria of NOK in the army.

Captain Anshuman's wife and mother.

Captain Anshuman Singh made the supreme sacrifice for the country. He was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra. Three days ago, the President handed over this trust to Captain Anshuman's wife Smriti and mother Manju. This was a moment that brought tears to everyone's eyes. Here the heroic tale of the martyred Captain was narrated. When the story of his bravery echoed in the country, the pain of his parents was also heard. NOK is one such pain of the martyr's parents.

The parents of Captain Anshuman, who was martyred in Siachen on 19 July last year, demanded a change in the criteria of NOK in the Army. Father Ravi Pratap Singh said that he also mentioned this in his meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi has assured that he will talk to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on this issue.

What is NOK?

The full form of NOK is Next TO Kin. It means the nearest relative. It is registered first in any job or service. In simple language, it is just like a nominee in a bank. It can also be called a legal heir. That is, if something happens to a person who is in service, then the ex-gratia amount or all the amount due to him will be given to NOK only.

When a cadet or officer joins the army, his parents or guardians' names are recorded in the NOK. When that cadet or officer gets married, under the orders of Marriage and Unit Part II, the name of the person's spouse is recorded as the person's next of kin instead of the parents.

Why is it necessary to register NOK

If any emergency situation arises during training or service in the army, then it is the responsibility of the concerned unit to inform NOK. If something untoward happens during treatment, then NOK is informed about it first. The honor and amount due to the martyr is also paid to the closest relative i.e. the spouse.

What did the martyr's parents say?

Captain Anshuman's father Ravi Pratap Singh said that the criteria set for NOK is not correct. I have also informed the Defense Minister about this. He said that Anshuman's wife does not live with us now, she has not told the reason why she does not live with us. The marriage was five months old, there is no child, the parents only have a photo with a garland hanging on it. That is why we want that the definition of NOK be fixed. It should be decided that if the wife of the martyr stays in the family, who has how much dependency. I have demanded the same from Rahul Gandhi as well. He has assured that I will talk to Rajnath Singh. Martyr Captain's mother Manju said that whatever happened to me is fine, but this should not happen to anyone in the future.

He was martyred in Siachen, got married 5 months ago

Martyr Anshuman's family lives in Deoria. At the time of his martyrdom on 19 July 2023, he was posted on the Siachen Glacier. Here, in an accident, he was badly burnt while saving his comrades from the fire. This fire had broken out in the army bunker. Anshuman was far away from the bunker in which the fire had broken out, but when he saw that his comrades were trapped in the fire, he went into that bunker without caring for his life and took out his three comrades. Due to being badly burnt, Anshuman Singh was airlifted to Chandigarh for treatment but he could not be saved. Five months ago, Anshuman got married to Smriti Singh, an engineer by profession. She works in a multinational company in Noida.

Captain Anshuman was in the Army's Medical Corps

Captain Anshuman Singh was a part of the military's medical corps. Martyr Captain Anshuman's wife said that they met in engineering college. Later he was selected in Pune's Armored Force Medical College. After doing MBBS, he became a part of the army's medical corps. He was trained in Agra's military hospital. After this, he was posted in Jammu and then in Siachen. After 8 years of long distance relationship, Captain Anshuman got married in February last year.