T. N. Seshan

Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan was an Indian civil servant, lecturer, bureaucrat and statesman who served with the Indian Administrative Service. Prior to entering the civil service, he worked as a Physics lecturer at the Madras Christian College. After serving in various positions in Madras and in various ministries of the Central Government, he served as the 18th Cabinet Secretary of India in 1989. He was appointed the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India (1990–1996) and became known for his electoral reforms. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1996. After retirement as the CEC, he contested the 1997 Indian presidential election. He lost to K.R. Narayanan after which he unsuccessfully contested 1999 Lok sabha election from Gandhinagar constituency under the Indian National Congress.