Former Indian Army Chief General Vishwa Nath Sharma Dies at 96

Former Chief of the Army Staff Vishwa Nath Sharma died of natural causes in New Delhi on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the age of 96. He was scheduled for cremation on Saturday morning at Brar Square Cremation Ground.

General Sharma served as the 14th Chief of the Army Staff from May 1, 1988, to June 30, 1990, and was the first President's Commissioned Officer to achieve that rank. Born in London in 1930 and commissioned into the army in June 1950, his career spanned several major conflicts and security crises. He fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars, commanded an Armoured Regiment and a Mountain Brigade, and managed the 1987 military stand-off with China in Arunachal Pradesh. During his tenure as Army Chief, he oversaw operations against the LTTE in Sri Lanka and addressed insurgencies in Punjab, Kashmir, and the Northeast.

He was the younger brother of Major Som Nath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. In response to his death, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Indian Army issued tributes praising his visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to the nation. General Dhiraj Seth, the current Chief of the Army Staff, also expressed profound grief over the loss of the former commander.