The Indian Army accorded a solemn farewell to General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, former Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), whose last rites were conducted with full military honours in New Delhi on 1 August 2026. The ceremony marked the final tribute to one of the Indian Army’s most respected leaders, whose distinguished military career spanned four decades of dedicated service to the nation.
General V.N. Sharma, who passed away on 31 July 2026 at the age of 96, served as the 14th Chief of the Army Staff from 1988 to 1990. Before leading the Indian Army, he commanded the Eastern Command as its General Officer Commanding-in-Chief and held numerous important operational and command appointments throughout his illustrious career.
The funeral was attended by Governor of Mizoram General V.K. Singh (Retd.), former Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, the three serving Service Chiefs, senior military commanders, civil dignitaries, veterans, serving personnel and citizens from across the country, all of whom gathered to pay their heartfelt respects to the former Army Chief.
Commissioned into the 16th Light Cavalry on 4 June 1950 after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, General Sharma became the first President’s Commissioned Officer to rise to the position of Chief of the Army Staff. During his distinguished military career, he participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak War in the Lahore sector, the 1971 Indo-Pak War, counter-insurgency operations in Nagaland and Mizoram, and provided leadership during the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operations in Sri Lanka.
He also commanded the 66th Armoured Regiment, later led a Mountain Brigade in counter-insurgency operations and eventually rose to command the Eastern Command before assuming the highest appointment in the Indian Army. His tenure as Army Chief was marked by professionalism, strategic leadership and continued modernisation of the force during a critical period in India’s security environment.
General Sharma belonged to one of India’s most distinguished military families. His father, Major General Amar Nath Sharma, served in the Indian Army, while his elder brother, Major Som Nath Sharma, was the first recipient of independent India’s Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously for supreme gallantry during the 1947–48 Kashmir operations. Another brother, Lieutenant General Surindra Nath Sharma, also served with distinction as the Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, making the Sharma family one of the country’s most decorated military lineages.
Following his retirement in 1990, General Sharma remained actively associated with national security and strategic affairs. He served on the National Security Advisory Board, contributed to leading defence think tanks, including the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and the United Service Institution of India (USI), and was involved in several public service and charitable initiatives, including healthcare projects in his native Himachal Pradesh.
In recognition of his exceptional service to the nation, General Sharma was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), along with numerous campaign and long-service medals earned during his distinguished military career.
The full military honours accorded during his final rites reflected the immense respect he commanded within the Armed Forces and the nation. The presence of serving and former military leaders, veterans and citizens underscored his enduring legacy as a soldier, commander and statesman who devoted his life to safeguarding India’s sovereignty and strengthening the Indian Army.
With the passing of General Vishwa Nath Sharma, India bids farewell to one of its most distinguished military leaders, whose legacy of courage, professionalism and selfless service will continue to inspire generations of soldiers and officers of the Indian Armed Forces.
