Jammu, May 2 -- Amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Thursday assumed charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the strategic Northern Command.

A highly decorated officer, Lieutenant General Sharma is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

Commissioned into the Madras Regiment in December 1987, he is qualified on the higher command course and has also attended a course at National Defence College, New Delhi.

He commanded an infantry battalion, brigade and division along the Line of Control (LoC) and a strike corps in the western sector.

Lt Gen Sharma has a varied expo...