India’s Former Army Chief Vishwa Nath Sharma Dies at 96

Former Indian Army chief General Vishwa Nath Sharma (retd) died on 31 July 2026 at the age of 96. He served as Chief of the Army Staff from 30 June 1988 to 30 June 1990 and saw combat as a major in the 1965 Indo‑Pak war in the Lahore sector.

Sharma’s career included command of an armoured regiment, a mountain brigade in an insurgency‑affected area, an armoured brigade in Rajasthan, a mountain division in the western sector, and a corps in the western sector. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 1977 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service. The Indian Army, led by current COAS General Dhiraj Seth, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed profound grief and extended condolences to his family.

Born on 4 June 1930, Sharma came from a distinguished military family; his younger brother, Major Som Nath Sharma, was India’s first Param Vir Chakra awardee. He was educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and the Prince of Wales’ Rashtriya Indian Military College, before commissioning into the 16 Light Cavalry in 1950.