The Indian Army paid its final tribute to General Vishwa Nath Sharma (Retired), PVSM, AVSM, ADC, a former Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). His last rites were conducted with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium, New Delhi. General Sharma passed away recently in New Delhi at the age of 97.

General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff, on behalf of all ranks of the Indian Army, laid a wreath and offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. General VK Singh (Retired), Governor of Mizoram and former COAS, also laid a wreath and attended the funeral. The solemn ceremony was attended by the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), former chiefs of the army staff, the chief of the air staff, the chief of the naval staff, serving and retired senior military officers, veterans and family members.

General Sharma was born in London, United Kingdom, on 4 June 1930. He was the younger brother of Major Somnath Sharma, recipient of India’s first Param Vir Chakra, and of Lt Gen Surendra Nath Sharma, former engineer-in-chief of the Indian Army.

He joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, as part of the 5th Regular Course and was commissioned into 16 Light Cavalry on 4 June 1950. He joined 66 Armoured Regiment as second-in-command at the time of its raising on 1 September 1966 and assumed command of the Regiment in June 1968 as its second commandant, relinquishing command in February 1970.

Through his career, General Sharma held various staff appointments including Colonel General Staff of an Armoured Division, Brigadier General Staff of a Corps, Director General of Military Operations at Army Headquarters and Commandant of the College of Combat (now Army War College), Mhow. He commanded a Mountain Brigade in Mizoram, an Armoured Brigade in Jaipur, a Mountain Division in Sikkim, a Corps in Mizoram and Eastern Command in Kolkata, prior to taking over as COAS from 30 April 1988 to 30 June 1990. General Sharma was the recipient of numerous distinguished awards during his professional career.

Post his retirement, continuing the philanthropic legacy of both his father and father-in-law, General Sharma dedicated four decades to serving underprivileged communities through a free tuberculosis clinic in Himachal Pradesh. Travelling by ambulance to remote villages and often trekking to high-altitude settlements alongside his medical team, he brought essential healthcare to people with limited access to medical services. His unwavering commitment to compassionate service inspired future generations of the family, with his son and other relatives carrying forward this tradition of public service.