Chennai

Mahadevan was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1946 from the Officers Training Academy (OTA), then situated in then Bangalore. He was tasked to protect Mahatma Gandhi from the rioters in Calcutta. He saw action in Congo in 1962 as a part of the United Nations forces, where he was severely wounded.

He refused the recommendation for a citation for capturing a bridge from Belgian mercenaries, where he was again severely wounded, worried that the news of his wounds carried by the press back home would traumatise his family in Palani.

His distinguished service under Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora as his BGS Eastern Command during the Bangladesh operations, earned him the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM). An alumni of the Defence Services Staff College, he became a Major General in 1972, before turning 47. 

During his tenure of General Officer Commanding - Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala Area (ATNK&K), he was renowned for the relied operations provided by the army after Andhra Pradesh was devastated by a cyclone in 1978. While organising the funeral of President V V Giri, Major General Mahadevan was noticed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MGR, who appointed him the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. The General was also the State President of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organisation.

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