Vishwa Nath Sharma
General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (June 4, 1930 – July 31, 2026) was an Indian Army General, who served as the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1988 to 1990.[2] He was the first president's commissioned officer to lead the Indian Army, having been commissioned in June 1950.[3]
Early life
His father, Major General Amar Nath Sharma, was also a military officer. He was the younger brother of the late Major Som Nath Sharma, recipient of Independent India's first posthumous Param Vir Chakra, and also Lieutenant General Surindra Nath Sharma, formerly Engineer in Chief of the Indian Army as well was Major Dr. Kamla Tewari (née Sharma) of the Medical Corps of the Indian Army.[4] The family hailed from Dadh Village in Kangra district, in present-day Himachal Pradesh.[5] Both brothers were educated at the Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. All three brothers did their schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital.[6]
Military career
Sharma went on to join the fifth Regular Course at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and he was commissioned on 4 June 1950 into the 16th Light Cavalry. He fought in the 1965 War against Pakistan in the Lahore Sector. He commanded the 66th Armoured Regiment and later a Mountain Brigade in an insurgency-affected area. Awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service, General Sharma took over as GOC-in-C of the Eastern Command, on 1 June 1987 and was appointed Honorary Army ADC to the President on 25 July 1987. He took over as the Chief of Army Staff on 1 May 1988.[7]
Post-military career
- Board of directors, Local Advisory Board of India, ABN AMRO, 1991–97
- Board of directors, Diamond & Gem Development Corporation, 1993–97
- Board of directors, Hawkins Cookers Limited, 2001–20??
- Member, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 1990–2026
- Member, United Services Institute of India, 1955–2026
- Member, National Security Advisory Board, 2006–09
- Free Tuberculosis & Medical Centre, Dadh, Himachal Pradesh, 1992–2026
Death
Sharma died in New Delhi on 31 July 2026, at the age of 96.[8]
Honours and awards
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Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 4 June 1950[9] |
 | Lieutenant | Indian Army | 4 June 1952[10] |
 | Captain | Indian Army | 4 June 1956[11] |
 | Major | Indian Army | 4 June 1963[12] |
 | Lieutenant-Colonel | Indian Army | 14 June 1968[1] |
 | Colonel | Indian Army | 3 April 1974[13] |
 | Brigadier | Indian Army | 2 February 1975[14] |
 | Major General | Indian Army | 1 July 1980[15] |
 | Lieutenant-General | Indian Army | 1984[2] |
 | General (COAS) | Indian Army | 1 May 1988 |
References
- 1 2 "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 15 August 1970. p. 1003.
- 1 2 "General Vishwa Nath Sharma". Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
- ↑ Abidi, S. Sartaj Alam; Sharma, Satinder (2007). Services Chiefs of India. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-81-7211-162-5.
- ↑ "Major Somnath Sharma: A hero for generations of soldiers – ADU News". www.aviation-defence-universe.com. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ↑ Dole, Manoj. Great Indian Army Hero. Manoj Dole.
- ↑ "Military Digest: The young-at-100 Lt Gen Surendra Nath 'Tindi' Sharma". Indian Express. 8 October 2023.
- ↑ Page 50, Where Gallantry is Tradition: Saga of Rashtriya Indian Military College, By Bikram Singh, Sidharth Mishra, Contributor Rashtriya Indian Military College, Published 1997, Allied Publishers, ISBN 81-7023-649-5
- ↑ "Kangra mourns former Army Chief General VN Sharma". The Tribune. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 5 May 1951. p. 82.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 2 August 1952. p. 165.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 26 January 1957. p. 17.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 10 August 1963. p. 267.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 26 July 1975. p. 979.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 10 April 1976. p. 500.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 20 March 1982. p. 396.
| Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1948) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1948–1955) | ||
| Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present) |
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(**Seconded from the British Army) | ||