Educational Qualifications
1945
SSLC, St. Joseph's High School, Thiruchirapalli (First rank in the school)
1947
Intermediate, St. Joseph's College, Thiruchirapalli
1949
B.Sc. (Chemistry), Vivekananda College, Chennai
1952
B.L., Madras Law College, Madras
1953
Law Apprentice, District & Sessions Court, Thiruchirapalli I.A.S. Competitive Examinations (First rank from Madras Presidency)
1954
Joined Indian Foreign Service in 1954, but transferred on request to the Indian Administrative Service, TamilNadu cadre Service Record
1954-55
I.A.S. Probationer, I.A.S. Training School, New Delhi
1955-56
Assistant Collector (under training), Coimbatore District
1956-58
Sub-Collector, Pollachi
1958-61
Assistant Financial Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, New Delhi
1961-62
Deputy Secretary, Industries Department, Government of TamilNadu, Chennai
1962-66
Director of Handlooms and Textiles, TamilNadu Projects handled: Construction of nine co-operative spinning mills Establishment of Handloom Finance Corporation (First Chairman) Started Handloom Weavers Provident Fund Scheme
1966
Joint-Secretary, Food Department, and Special Officer, TUCS Project handled: Kamadhenu Co-operative supermarket, Chennai
1966-67
Private Secretary to Food Minister, Government of India, New Delhi
1967-70
Managing Director, Modern Bakeries (India) Ltd., Ministry of Food, Government of India, New Delhi Project handled: Establishment of nine Modern Bakery units, one each in 9 States, with Australian and Canadian collaboration
1972-74
Chairman, TamilNadu State Textile Corporation Project handled: Took over 12 closed textile mills in Coimbatore district and turned them round to make profits in 2 years
1974-79
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Government of India, New Delhi Project handled: Secretariat for Industrial Approvals dealing with Industrial Licensing, Foreign Collaboration, Import of Capital Goods etc.
1979-80
Managing Director, TamilNadu Industrial Development Corporation Important projects handled: TamilNadu Industrial Explosives, Ranipet Titan Watch Company, Hosur
1980
Secretary to Government, Industries Department, Government of TamilNadu Voluntary retirement from I.A.S. in October to take up full- time academic work
Research Activities
1961-68
Research on Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions (first phase)
Important publications:
1965 - Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions of the Cheras of the Sangam Age at Pugalur
1966 - Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions of the Pandyas of the Sangam Age at Mangulam
1966 - Corpus of the Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions (Monograph)
1968-86
Research on the Indus Script (first phase)
1977
Publication of The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables (in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, and the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi)
1991-2003
Research on Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions (second phase)
1991-96 - Second round of field work for copying the cave inscriptions
2003 - Published Early Tamil Epigraphy (Cre-A & Harvard University)
2003 - until now
Research on the Indus Script (second phase)
2007
Established the Indus Research Centre at Roja Muthiah Research Library, Chennai
Working on the book Interpreting the Indus Script: The Dravidian Model (to be published by Penguin India in 2009)
Other research publications
Published more than a hundred research papers in English and Tamil on the Indus and the Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in various journals and other publications in India and abroad (Bibliographies including reviews are available in this volume)
Participation in International Conferences
Presented papers at the Conference-Seminars on Tamil Studies at Kualalumpur (1966 & 1987), Chennai (1968), Paris (1970), Madurai (1981) and Thanjavur (1995)
Also presented papers on the Indus Script at International conferences at Helsinki (1980, 1993), Tokyo (1983), Philadelphia (1978, 1999), California (1999) and Harvard (2003)
Academic offices and posts held
1980-90
Co-ordinator, International Association of Tamil Research
1987-91
Editor, Dinamani, Chennai
1988
President, Archaeology Section, Indian History Congress at Dharwar
1998
General President, Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India at Thrissur
2001
General President, Indian History Congress at Bhopal
2004
Hon. Rector, Madura College, Madurai
2004-05
Hon. Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies
Member, Tamil Valarchi Kazhakam, University of Madras
Member, Mozhi Trust, Chennai
Member, U.Ve. Swaminathaiyar Research Library, Chennai
Hon. Consultant, Indus Research Centre, RMRL, Chennai
Awards and Distinctions
1945
Fr. Betram Gold Medal
1945-47
Fr. Betram Scholarship
1947
Rt. Hon. V.S. Srinivasa Sastri Gold Medal
1970-72
Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship
1992-95
National Fellowship, Indian Council of Historical Research
1995
Gold Medal and the title Tamil Chemmal (Madurai Kamaraj University)
1998
Copper plaque of the TamilNadu Archaeological Society
2001
Award by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America
2003
Dr. M. Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research, Thiruchirapalli: Award for achievements in Tamil Epigraphy
2004
Prof. V. Chelvanayakam Award, Colombo, Srilanka
Probus Club of Chennai: Scroll of Honour : Probus Award of Excellence (Sponsored by the Rotary Club, Chennai)
2005
Tirukoyilur Cultural Academy:Award of Gold Medal and the title 'Kapila-vanar' In recognition of services to Tamil Epigraphy
2006
P.L.Gupta Medal, by the South Indian Numismatic Society
Tiruvavaduthurai Adheenam Annual Award for 2006: Award of the title 'Sentamizh Selvar'
Sri Gomathesvara Vidyapeetha, Sravanabelegola, Karnataka: Cash Award of Rs.21,000 for deciphering ancient Jaina Tamil-Brahmi Cave Inscriptions in TamilNadu
2007
The Madras Sanskrit College Centenary Awards: Award of the Title 'Prachina-Tattva-Chintamani'. For historical and archaeological research
Dharmapuram Adheenam Annual Award for 2007: Award of Gold medal and the title 'Semmozhi Selvar'. For services to Tamil Journalism and Epigraphy
2008
Dravidian University Award
Personal Life
Married to Gowri in 1955. They have 2 sons. The elder son, Vidyasagar, who was working as an Engineer, died in a tragic accident in 1986. Gowri Mahadevan died in 1992. The younger son, Prof. Sridhar Mahadevan, is teaching at the University of Mass., USA. Iravatham Mahadevan has two grandchildren. He has founded the Vidyasagar Educational Trust in memory of his elder son with a personal donation of Rs.fifty lakhs. The Trust has donated Rs.40 lakhs to Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, to establish the Vidyasagar Institute of Bio-Medical Technology and Science, affiliated to BITS, Pilani, for M.S. and Phd., degrees. The Trust is also awarding annual scholarships to poor students studying in polytechnics and industrial training institutes in TamilNadu. Iravatham Mahadevan lives at Chennai.
Address
No.B1, Narumukai Apts.,
Brindavan Nagar Extn.,
Adambakkam, Chennai 600 088.
Tel : 044 2253 3230.
Email ID : iravatham@vsnl.net
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