Vishwa Nath Sharma Explained

Honorific Prefix:General
Vishwa Nath Sharma
Honorific Suffix:PVSM, AVSM, ADC| native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = General Vishwa Nath Sharma.jpg| image_size = 200 px| alt = | caption = Official portrait| birth_date = 1930 6, df=yes| height = | death_date = | birth_place = London, England, United Kingdom| death_place = | placeofburial = | placeofburial_label = | placeofburial_coordinates = | office = 14th Chief of the Army Staff| term_start = 1 June 1988| term_end = 30 June 1990| president = R. Venkataraman| primeminister = Rajiv Gandhi
Vishwanath Pratap Singh| predecessor = Gen Krishnaswamy Sundarji| successor = Gen Sunith Francis Rodrigues| office1 = 19th General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command| term_start1 = June 1987| term_end1 = April 1988| predecessor1 = Lt Gen JK Puri| successor1 = Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra| office2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | 1blankname2 = Chief of Army Staff| 1namedata2 = Gen Krishnaswamy Sundarji| predecessor2 = | successor2 = | nickname = Tich
Sunny| birth_name = | allegiance = India| branch = | serviceyears = 1950 – 1990| rank = General| military_blank1 = Service number| military_data1 = IC-4769[1] | unit = 16th Light Cavalry
66th Armoured Regiment| commands = Eastern Army
66th Armoured Regiment| battles = Nagaland Insurgency of 1956
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Mizoram Insurgency of 1973
IPKF Operation of 1987| battles_label = | awards = Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal| spouse = | relations = Maj Gen Amar Nath Sharma (father)
Maj Somnath Sharma (brother)
Lt Gen Surendranath Sharma (brother)| laterwork = | signature = | website = | other_name = | memorials = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | module = | president1 = Giani Zail Singh
R. Venkataraman| primeminister1 = Rajiv Gandhi}}

General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (born 4 June 1930) was the 14th Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, serving between 1988–1990.[2] He was the first Indian COAS to have begun his career in the post-Independence Indian Army.[3]

Early life

His father, Major General Amar Nath Sharma, was also a military officer. He is 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.[4] Both brothers were educated at the Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. All three brothers did their schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital. [5]

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.[6] He retired on 30 June 1990.

Honours and awards

Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishist Seva MedalSamar Seva StarPaschimi Star
Raksha MedalSangram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Service Medal
25th 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
4 June 1950[7]
Indian Army 4 June 1952[8]
Indian Army 4 June 1956[9]
Indian Army 4 June 1963[10]
Indian Army 14 June 1968
Indian Army 3 April 1974[11]
Indian Army 2 February 1975[12]
Indian Army 1 July 1980[13]
Indian Army 1984
General
(COAS)
Indian Army 1 May 1988

After career

References

Notes and References

  1. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1003 . 15 August 1970 . The Gazette of India.
  2. Web site: General Vishwa Nath Sharma . 19 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321183355/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Personnel/Chiefs/154-VN-Sharma.html . 21 March 2012 . dead . dmy-all .
  3. Book: Abidi . S. Sartaj Alam . Sharma . Satinder . 2007 . Services Chiefs of India . New Delhi . 76–77 . Northern Book Centre . 978-81-7211-162-5 .
  4. Web site: Major Somnath Sharma: A hero for generations of soldiers - ADU News. 2020-06-23. www.aviation-defence-universe.com.
  5. Web site: Military Digest: The young-at-100 Lt Gen Surendra Nath 'Tindi' Sharma. Indian Express . 8 October 2023 . en.
  6. 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,
  7. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 82 . 5 May 1951 . The Gazette of India.
  8. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 165 . 2 August 1952 . The Gazette of India.
  9. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 17 . 26 January 1957 . The Gazette of India.
  10. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 267 . 10 August 1963 . The Gazette of India.
  11. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 979 . 26 July 1975 . The Gazette of India.
  12. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 500 . 10 April 1976 . The Gazette of India.
  13. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 396 . 20 March 1982 . The Gazette of India.