| 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 Cavalry66th 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 lifeHis 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 careerSharma 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
Dates of rank
After career
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