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. He was the first president's commissioned officer to lead the Indian Army, having been commissioned in June 1950.
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. The family hailed from Dadh Village in Kangra district, in present-day Himachal Pradesh. Both brothers were educated at the Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. All three brothers did their schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital.
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.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,
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.
Honours and awards
Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishist Seva MedalSamar Seva StarPaschimi StarRaksha MedalSangram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Service Medal25th Anniversary of Independence Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service Medal
Dates of rank Insignia Rank Component Date of rank Second Lieutenant Indian Army 4 June 1950 Lieutenant Indian Army 4 June 1952 Captain Indian Army 4 June 1956 Major Indian Army 4 June 1963 Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 14 June 1968 Colonel Indian Army 3 April 1974 Brigadier Indian Army 2 February 1975 Major General Indian Army 1 July 1980 Lieutenant-General Indian Army 1984 General(COAS) Indian Army 1 May 1988
References