Vishwa Nath Sharma

General Vishwa Nath Sharma PVSM, AVSM, ADC
Nickname(s)	Tich Sunny
Born	4 June 1930 London, United Kingdom
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Army
Years of service	1950 - 1990
Rank	General
Unit	16th Light Cavalry
Commands held	Eastern Army 66th Armoured Regiment
Battles/wars	Nagaland Insurgency of 1956 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Mizoram Insurgency of 1973 IPKF Operation of 1987
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Other work	Board of directors, Local Advisory Board of India, ABN AMRO, 1991-97 Board of directors, Diamond & Gem Development Corporation, 1993-97 Board of directors, Hawkins Cookers Limited, 2001-present Member, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 1990-present Member, United Services Institute of India, 1955-present Member, National Security Advisory Board, 2006-09 Free Tuberculosis & Medical Center, Dadh, Himachal Pradesh, 1992-present

General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC was the 15th Chief of Army Staff^[1] of the Indian Army. 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 Surendra Nath Sharma, formerly Engineer in Chief of the Indian Army. Both brothers were educated at the Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. V.N. Sharma went on to join the fifth Regular Course at the Indian Military Academy 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.^[2] He retired on 30 June 1990.

Honours and awards

Param Vishisht Seva Medal	Ati Vishist Seva Medal	Samar Seva Star	Paschimi Star
Raksha Medal	Sangram Medal	Sainya Seva Medal	High Altitude Service Medal
25th Anniversary of Independence Medal	30 Years Long Service Medal	20 Years Long Service Medal	9 Years Long Service Medal

References

1. "General Vishwa Nath Sharma". Retrieved 19 August 2013.
2. 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, ISBN 81-7023-649-5