T. N. Seshan is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, who held several public offices in the Government of India. He was the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India from December 12, 1990 to December 11, 1996. He is widely known for his commitment to and was largely successful in ending electoral malpractices in India.
He was born in a Tamil speaking Tamil Iyer family who had migrated from Tanjore and settled in Thirunellai, Palakkad district, Kerala on May 15, 1933. He studied at Basel Evangelical Mission Higher Secondary School. Seshan graduated from the Madras Christian College. 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).