Former Army Chief General Vishwa Nath Sharma Dies at 97

General Vishwa Nath Sharma, the 14th Chief of the Army Staff, passed away on July 31, 2026 in New Delhi at the age of 97. He was cremated with full military honours at Brar Square on August 1.

His Military Career

General Sharma was commissioned into the 16th Light Cavalry on June 4, 1950 after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He became the first President's Commissioned Officer to rise to the position of Army Chief.

He served as Army Chief from May 1, 1988 to June 30, 1990 — a turbulent period marked by the Punjab insurgency, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operations in Sri Lanka, and the Sumdorong Chu military standoff with China in Arunachal Pradesh.

Before becoming Army Chief, he served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command, where he played a key role during the Sumdorong Chu crisis in 1987.

He also participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak War in the Lahore sector and the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

A Military Family

General Sharma came from one of India's most decorated military families. His father, Major General Amar Nath Sharma, also served in the Indian Army. His elder brother, Major Som Nath Sharma, was the first-ever recipient of the Param Vir Chakra — India's highest wartime military honour — awarded posthumously for exceptional bravery during the 1947-48 Kashmir operations.

Another brother, Lieutenant General Surindra Nath Sharma, served as the Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and current Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth both expressed condolences.

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