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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS (24-11-2022)

Who was T N Seshan, who changed the face of Indian elections?

Y
The Supreme Court, mooting the idea of including the Chief Justice of India in the
selection process for the Chief Election Commissioner, has said a person like former

M
CEC, the late T N Seshan, “happens once in a while”.
B
Mooting the idea of including the Chief Justice of India in the appointment committee

DE
to select the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to ensure “neutrality”, the Supreme
CS
Court said it wants a CEC of strong character like the late T N Seshan.

The apex court said the Constitution has vested enormous powers on the “fragile
CA
shoulder” of the CEC and the two Election Commissioners, and added that the CEC
should be someone who “does not allow himself to be bulldozed”.

T N SESHAN
SA

Born in Palakkad district of Kerala, Seshan is

widely credited for ushering in electoral
reforms that changed the face of Indian
IA

elections.

Before becoming the CEC, Seshan had served

many bureaucratic positions including the
secretary to the Atomic Energy Commission
and joint secretary at the Department of
Space.

Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, or T N Seshan

as he was commonly called, was appointed the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on
December 12, 1990 with a tenure till December 11, 1996.

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Established in 1950 as the constitutional authority to hold free and fair elections in
India, the Election Commission of India was not more than an observer of elections
until 1990.

At a time when it was normal to bribe voters, Seshan enforced the authority of the EC
as per its powers laid out in the Constitution.

He changed the process of conducting elections in the nation and introduced a list of
150 malpractices during elections, including distribution of liquor, bribing voters, ban
on writing on walls, use of religion in election speeches etc.
He introduced voter ID cards, the Model Code of Conduct, and enforced a limit to poll
expenses.
During the process, Seshan also had several rifts with the ruling government.

Y
In 1993, the then government under P V Narasimha Rao brought in an Ordinance with

M
B
the President’s assent under Article 342(2)[3] of the Indian Constitution fixing the
number of EC’s at two and appointed M S Gill and G V G Krishnamurthy as the two
EC’s.
DE
CS
Opposing this, Seshan approached the Supreme Court alleging that the move was
introduced to curb his powers.
CA
His petition was dismissed by the court, and it held, “the concept of plurality is writ
large on the face of Article 324, clause (2) whereof clearly envisages a multi-member
Election Commission comprising the CEC and one or more ECs.”
SA

In 1996, Seshan received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his role in cleaning up the
electoral process in the country.

He also unsuccessfully contested the presidential elections against K R Narayanan in

IA

1997.

He breathed his last on November 10, 2019 in Chennai.

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