ATHAVALE'S
The Forces Foundation
NDA, TES, SPI, AFMC

1. Lt Col Mahesh Prabhakar Deshpande (Retd) is a resident of Nagpur. He was educated from Hadas High School and Hislop College Nagpur. Lt Col Deshpande was selected to join the prestigious Indian Military Academy Dehradun in July 1983 after clearing UPSC exam followed by SSB Interview and passed out from IMA Dehradun in December 1984 with 65 NDA / 75 Regular course. He has excelled in his professional courses and army assignments. He was instructor in one of the premier training establishment of Indian Army – College of Military Engineering (CME) Pune. He is a qualified SSB Interview assessor and gold medalist from National Civil Defence College (NCDC). During his 24 years distinguished career in the army, he has served under the most trying conditions in Siachen Glacier (the highest battlefield in the world) and anti – terrorist operations in Jammu & Kashmir.

2. Lt Col MP Deshpande founded ‘The Forces Foundation’ at Nagpur in 2007 to motivate, guide and train young men and women to join the armed forces of India through NDA, CDS, AFCAT, SSB Interviews and SPI Aurangabad. More than 250 candidates groomed by Lt Col Deshpande assisted by his wife Sphurti Deshpande have cleared entrance exams and SSB Interviews for various military academies. Emphasis is laid on inculcating armed forces values and ethos like excellence, perfectionism, service before self, discipline, mental and physical fitness.

3. On 19 Sep 2019 Lt Col MP Deshpande (Retd) was felicitated by Shri Ashwin Mudgal IAS Collector and District Magistrate Nagpur for his contribution towards motivating and guiding the youth to join the armed forces of India since 2007. The contribution of Lt Col MP Deshpande towards nation building was acknowledged during the Ex – Servicemen rally which was addressed by Shri Ashwin Mudgal.