Former Army Chief General VN Sharma passes away at the age of 96

General Vishwa Nath Sharma, 14th Army Chief, passed away in New Delhi at age 96.

He was the first officer commissioned after Independence to become Army Chief, serving from 1988 to 1990.

Gen. Sharma played a pivotal role during the 1987 military stand-off with China; as Eastern Army Commander, he managed the Sumdorong Chu crisis in Arunachal Pradesh.

His elder brother, Major Som Nath Sharma, was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.

During his tenure as Army Chief, the Army fought the LTTE in Sri Lanka, battled insurgencies in Northeast and Punjab, and faced the Kashmir insurgency.