Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
A brief biography
Nov 11, 2019: The Times of India
T N Seshan showed politicians the real power of the Election Commission of India.
A 1955 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan served in various capacities, including as cabinet secretary of India in 1989 and earlier as administrative head of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
It was, however, as the 10th chief election commissioner from December 12, 1990, till December 11, 1996 that he got national and international acclaim. He became a household name when he studied and utilised the powers of CEC to the fullest.
EC turned into guardian of poll system under Seshan’s watch
TN Seshan elevated Nirvachan Sadan to the public profile it now enjoys as guardian of India’s electoral system. He used the EC powers to direct an election, including transfers and postings of officials to crack the whip on corrupt electoral practices. This sent a stern message to officials and brought home to political parties that they could not count on servile officials to bend election rules. “T N Seshan was a legend. He will always be a source of inspiration to us and all CECs and ECs to come,” said CEC Sunil Arora.
Seshan frequently clashed with the P V Narasimha Rao government and was outspoken in his comments, which was quite a difference from his stint as a senior IAS officer. His actions won him widespread public support.
The Rao government used a little known clause of the law governing the EC to appoint two additional commissioners. This did stymie Seshan to some extent and he even went to Tirupati to meditate and seeks answers to the government strategem. He later told the media that the Lord had remained silent.
Seshan won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his services to the government in 1996.
1970s: ISRO days
Arun Ram, Nov 12, 2019: The Times of India
About two decades before he became famous as the chief election commissioner who taught politicians to behave, T N Seshan was busy helping India make its first giant strides in space science.
As administrative director of the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1970s, Seshan drafted the contract signed with SEP, a company that worked for French space agency CNES, to develop Vikas, India’s first liquid propulsion engine. The engine continues to power Isro’s PSLVs and GSLVs used for missions, including Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.
It was a tough deal to strike as India had no money to offer. Seshan drafted a contract that offered the French Indian engineering manhours for a fraction of the global cost in return for equal ownership of the technology. S Nambinarayanan, who led the 50-member Isro team at SEP, remembers Seshan dictating the 50-odd page “tricky contract” in one go. “This man was extraordinary,” he says.
Seshan was a shrewd negotiator too. After the joint venture took off, Roy Gibson, chairman of the European Space Agency, reviewed contracts of member agencies to ensure countries did not use rocket technology for military purposes. He wanted SEP to change a part of a clause that said Isro should use the technology ‘for its own use’ to ‘for its own peaceful use’.
“Seshan put his foot down: If this contract is annulled, India will rethink several other contracts that are lucrative for European companies,” said Narayanan. ESA relented. Seshan respected well-meaning bosses and wielded his authority like a sword.
