<Tr> <Th> Occupation </Th> <Td> Indian Administrative Service </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Awards </Th> <Td> Ramon Magsaysay award (in 1996) </Td> </Tr> <P> Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan known as T.N. Seshan is a retired 1955 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, best remembered as the man who cleaned up elections in India . He was the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India (1990--96), who reformed elections by largely ending its malpractices in the country . and redefined the status and visibility of the Election Commission of India . An Indian Administrative Service officer, he earlier served as the 18th Cabinet Secretary of India in 1989 . He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1996 . </P> <P> Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan was born on 15 December 1932 in Thirunellai, Palakkad district, Kerala . He completed his schooling from Basel Evangelical Mission Higher Secondary School and intermediate from Government Victoria College, Palakkad . He obtained his graduation in Physics from the Madras Christian College . He worked for three years as demonstrator at the Madras Christian college, when he passed the IAS exam . He then went to study at Harvard University on Edward S. Mason Fellowship where he earned a master's degree in public administration . (Class of 1968) </P>

This retired ias officer has served as the election commissioner of india between 1990 and 1996