"I cherish my rigid attention to integrity."

He was the last in a family of six children. "My elder brother was also a civil servant", he said.
"I joined school in 1930 at the Palghat Basil Evangelical Mission School. In 1947, I finished school and wrote the end of school examination twice. Two years later, I wrote the intermediate exam at the government Victoria College twice. In both those years, the exam had to be written twice because the question papers leaked. In 1949, I passed fairly well, and I thought my marks guaranteed my passage into engineering college."
"Unfortunately, in those days, admission had to take forward and backward communities into account, and one of the ways of keeping forward communities out was to ask them to appear for an interview. At my interview, they asked me the fantastic engineering-oriented question, 'Do you know Sivaji Ganesan'? I said yes, I know. The next question was 'How many movies has Sivaji Ganesan acted in?' That question was beyond my depth, and they would not give me a seat. Therefore, I ended up studying physics in the Madras Christian College from 1949 to 1952. I passed out fairly well and my principal a Scot gentlemean asked me whether I would like to teach in the same college. First they gave me a demonstrator's job, and after that I became a lecturer."
In 1953, T.N. Seshan wrote the police service exam. Despite standing first in the competitive exam, he did not want to join the police, and wrote and cleared the Indian Administrative Service exam in 1954. "I joined the IAS in 1955, and I was allotted to the Madras cadre. After a year's training in Delhi, I came to Coimbatore for district training in 1956, and I was a civil servant for the next thirty-five years."
He was posted to Dindigul in May 1957. "Within a week of joining, I had a brush with a Minister. He asked me to do something and I refused. In the middle of nowhere, he threw me out of his car and I spent two hours under a tree until a passing jeep picked me up. In 1958, I moved to Madras to worked at the Secretariat of Rural Development. After that I was Director of Transport till 1965, when the government sent me to Madurai as Collector. Those were difficult times because the anti-Hindi riots had begun and Madurai was at the epicentre of the trouble." A few months later, the government gave him the added responsibility of looking after Sheikh Abdullah who was staying in Kodaikanal.
From 1967 to 1968, the government sent him to Harvard where he completed a degree at the Kennedy School of Public Administration. "When I landed back in 1968, the government sent me to Bombay to become the Deputy Secretary of Atomic Energy to work under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai."
After the death of Sarabhai, Indira Gandhi split the department into two - one dealing with atomic energy, and the other dealing with space. "She asked me to go with the space department in Bangalore. Worked there under Professor Satish Dhavan from 1972 to 1976, when President's Rule was imposed in Madras and I was called back."
"In 1978, I moved out of Tamil Nadu and went to ONGC as member in charge of personnel. A year or two later, I found out that I had run of work, so after I pleaded with the Prime Minister for more work, she sent me back to the Space Department where I stayed till 1985."
After Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister in 1985, T.N. Seshan made him Secretary for Environment, Wildlife and Forests till 1988. "From 1987, I had the added responsibility of looking after the Prime Minister's security. From environment, I moved to defence, and after Rajiv Gandhi lost the election, I was made a member of the Planning Commission - a job without much work. I stayed there for over a year, and when V P Singh was replaced by Chandrasekhar, I was made Chief Election Commissioner of India till 1996 December, when I retired."
"After retirement, I returned to Madras, and I have been doing very little except teaching in some colleges and schools, giving lectures here and there."
He also narrated the well-known incident that occurred on June 2, 1962, when he was transferred six times on the same day. After a disagreement with his quasi-political boss at the Department of Rural Development, he said he would leave because he thought he was not receiving enough appreciation. The Chief Secretary, R A Gopalaswamy, was very angry, and he shifted me six times. "At eleven, I was in Finance, at eleven-thirty, I was in Small Savings, at twelve I was in Agriculture, at two, I was in Social Welfare and when I came back home, I was Director of Women's Welfare."
He said that his rigid attention to integrity is what he cherishes most in his long career. "I have never given a millimetre of yield to integrity."

[@vasuent1]

He only made the country know that a post of Chief Election Commissioner exists. Thank you sir.

[@pappi3]

One of the greatest bureaucrat India has ever witnessed in Independent History. Truly salute you Mr. Seshan. This is kind of talent and passionate people we want in IAS cadre instead of people with low integrity and people with ill mentality who takes bribes and thinks IAS is a money making profession.

[@sathishvaithilingam5269]

Thank god he did not become an engineer, kudos to people who interviewed him for engineering admission. Even today the education industry has not changed

[@madhusudanpunnakkalappu5253]

He made people aware regarding Election Commission Of India & its importance

[@anandranand1]

Such a brilliant person. Respects to you sir.

[@vikramitagi4577]

great research power

[@aryadeepadhikari6590]

Such a great man .

[@malasyu]

An MCCian, naturally .

[@Blofeld811]

Jambavan🙏🙏👍

[@jalajabhaskar6490]

OMG!! I envy his memory power.. at this age also he remembers everything... a rare breed indeed

[@uccaisiravas]

. N. Sheshan is either misremembering or lying. At time 4.03 of the video, Shesha claims that he failed to get admission in 1949 to Engineering college because the interviewer asked him of the number of movies Siviji Ganessan acted in, which he did not answer. Sivaji did not start acting till 1952!

[@shashanktripathi3398]

uccaisiravas he doesn't need to lie

[@parvadhami980]

@@uccaisiravas unrelated Comment

[@venkattamil4195]

@@uccaisiravas You will agree he studied in MCC.

[@uccaisiravas]

@@shashanktripathi3398 Well, I do not think highly of Sheshan. He said he would have been the president of India but K. R. Narayanan was selected simply because he was a Dalit. This statement shows his true color.

[@shwethasrinivas3188]

The man who would never back down....Now nation want strong people like Seshan sir for drastic changes & revelation.

[@selvaranisr8672]

மரியாதைக்குரியவரே,உங்களுடைய சேவை தற்போது கிடைக்குமா...👌👍💐 😢

[@premjeetpujari8828]

"The Man behind" Electoral Reforms in India, and who eat politicians for his breakfast ! #Deep respect !

[@binuvarghese4667]

Even Seshan would be branded anti national and URBAN NAXAL.

[@agijohn7938]

Salute to real Indian legends. He was classmate of metro man E. Sreedharan at Palakad Kerala. Both became legends.

[@capt.mansoortp]

Metroman sreedharan told in an interview that he got 2nd rank in the state intermediate examination. Person who came 1st is the one who is giving the interview.

[@amolsw]

Great person!! The man who cleaned up elections in India...!!! Thank you sir

[@manosanjeevi1855]

Now it is reverse now election commission is ruling party pet dog

[@icefireyash]

He is the real iron man of India. Respect.

[@santoshverma-uk9is]

One of the greatest Indian and deserves for Bharat Ratan.

[@solutionmanualseller6617]

If bureaucrats act independently they can do what TN Seshan has done, change India for better forever.

[@rajsinghcharan4644]

rigid attention to integrity....wow....kudos to you sir.

[@prakyathprakash5180]

His humor is way better than many young people of our times !! Outstanding articulation and memory power !!

[@shubhanshupandey1007]

The voice and the oratory !!! And the brightness of integrity on the face ... Salutes...gratitude!! 🙏

[@mohanmurti]

Many, many thanks for this - TN Seshan, is an yet another intellectual giant from “Palghat" w- was feared by the political class for his honesty and integrity.i TTNS catapulted “Palghat Iyers” into the nation`s attention - as a breed to “watch out”.

[@bennyjohnp9687]

04:01 ''I appeared for the interview and the question they asked me was a fantastically engineering oriented - Sivaji ganesane theriyuma?" Lol...seshan sir..the true legend.

[@prajwalpattar152]

The man who ate politicians for breakfast..

[@venkataraman6639]

How many post? Asst. Collector, Secretary in Rural development, Finance, Small savings, Agriculture, Social welfare, Director of women welfare, Director of transport, Collector, Deputy Secretary - Atomic energy, Industrial secretary, Agricultural secretary, Member in charge of personnel - ONGC, Secretary in-charge - Forest & Wildlife & Environment, Security officer for PM, Defence Secretary, Cabinet secretary, Member of Planning Commission, and finally,,, CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER

[@mayurborah2111]

Legend

[@kssubramanian4793]

I am from Palghat and now 86. I am very happy to hear your autobiography.

[@sarsonsar0]

Election Commission you reformed has become an alliance for ruling party now.😟😟 Hope someone like you we get again

[@sabybasu]

Last of the Mohicans. The man who had the guts and balls. Today’s people doesn’t have spines, let alone balls. Salut Sir, you inspire us and generations to come.

[@davidsonsunny2886]

Pity that Modi did not decorate him with highest civilian award . For the yeoman service he rendered to weed out corruption in buerocracy.

[@xyzabc5755]

I wish he were here as CEC at this point of time . He handled the most difficult elections in Indian history of post Rajiv Gandhi assassination in the most efficient,fair and bold manner ,without fear or fervour! The most hated and feared beurocrat by all indian politicians who was like a hawk, swooping in and tearing apart all those who transgress the rules laid out by the election commission ! No wonder ,none of the politicians wanted his presence ! The present dispensation is a knee jerked and wimping one ,always ready and happy to pamper and satisfy the rulers at the center !Integrity of election commission is a question mark now ! We are yet to witness even a semblance of seshan era election commission or a CEC to match his caliber ,honesty and Integrity after his term was over ! It seems election commission and CEC is now back to pre seshan era!

[@rajammahadevan3309]

Z

[@extra2ab]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@nathmanju6317]

The Most Respectable Personality In Indian Democracy... A Bureaucrat with impeccable Records ⚘⚘⚘

[@vgiriprasad7212]

TN Seshan was truly a Lion, not only in his inner qualities but also in voice, physical features and magnanimous looks too. It is said that after appointment as Chief Election Commissioner, when he went to obtain the blessings of Kanchi Mahaperiyavar Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal, highly revered repository of knowledge, he was instructed by Swamigal to first go and study, before assuming the Office, the Inscriptions regarding Election procedures prevailed in distant past centuries back itself in Tamizh Nadu, framed by Chozha Emperors, carved/engraved on stones carefully at the ancient great temple at Uthiramerur (உத்திரமேரூர்) in which Lord Vishnu is worshipped In 9 different Divine Postures. On taking His advice and after visiting and knowing the said contents at that temple, TNS plunged and dived deeply into every detail of electoral aspects and made so many electoral reforms. The rest was history and known to everybody. Those things are only being followed by his successors till date for efficiently conducting Elections throught the country. V.GIRIPRASAD (68)

[@calexander3989]

I am the greatest fan of this greatest personality I love him & adore him breave hearted person having all the qualities to become P.M& president of India. If he is there then idiot have no place in politics.

[@ravichandel8690]

cooks , crooks, civil servent and musician great bifercation

[@amulyamishra5745]

Not bifurcation...there are four

[@jairaj1258]

need this guy now

[@extra2ab]

Yes

[@ashishmoulik1368]

Indian prophet came to save india,god also will appreciate on your arrival to his door.

[@hoimeedey5155]

🤣 still love listening to him. Missing him today...EC was never strong before him and none of his successors established what he did.

[@shijik9487]

One of the best chief election commissioners that India ever had.

[@shashanktripathi3398]

SHIJI KALLUMANNIL the best not one of the best

[@ManishKumar298]

THE BEST

[@rupanchhabra9673]

The best.The greatest.

[@devenderreddysunkara9262]

The one and only chief election commissioner of India.

[@binaraghu846]

And ever will !

[@RK-fs8vo]

hats iff you sir.. will we ever get such a personality in the history of india ! , perhaps no. For TNS, no substitute !!!!!👍

[@cosmicallyspeaking871]

TNS is the best! Admire this man no end!

[@hemjaikumar8710]

Dr BABASAHEB BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR wasn't a Brahmin and he was the most intelligent person of his time* nothing there is in CASTE

[@36yovan]

*Amazing Memory Power of Former CEC of India!*

[@bittugym8282]

king of election commission 👍

[@ZakirHussain-jr2wf]

You are a Great Person Sir ! I liked very much your Story narrated by you. Definitely It was interesting that I would Like to clear out of your mind. Now, the Country needs An Chief Election Commissioner of your calibre who held with so much uprightness, Dignity and Courage. It is a shame the country does not posses one for this job. I pray to God for your Good Health and long life.

[@ponniah-mb4pf]

Correpted politicians created confusion in the commission due to the experience with this intellectual stalwart.

[@nmadankumar1978]

The single greatest CEC India ever had.

[@thomasabrahamthomas2500]

people in India and all the other democratic countries must understand that political ignorance cannot maintain the hard earned democracy much longer. people must participate in the political process intellectually than emotionally for the benefit of the humanity. people are also political being as well as social being. clean up the election process and elect individuals who are altruistic and limit their terms. do not elect persons who have vested interests for representing us to make laws and legislate to ruin humanity.

[@rupanchhabra9673]

This great luminary of India should get Bharat Ratna.

[@simonabraham9645]

Still I remember you words when you are Madhura collector when Indira ji was the pm , ordered don’t enter in Madduri

[@Iam_SAiKo]

One of the Greatest Unsung Hero of Nation🙏🙏🙏

[@principalnims419]

one and only person whom I respect from the bottom of my heart .A true inspiration.

[@maheshadmanekar3955]

Great Administrator 👌👌

[@shivaraml5692]

Like his cryptic sense of humour.

[@selvanov]

He would have been termed anti-national in today's India.

[@amitchakraborty2537]

There are heroes in our country whose values need to be taught from grade 1 in our school. For it's heroes like you Dear Seshan Sir, who have kept this country intact. I salute you.

[@extra2ab]

👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@parvadhami980]

@@extra2ab 👍 to 🙏

[@jayt3866]

awesome interview! Hats off to the interviewer! What an awesome human being Mr. Seshan is!

[@ashokkohli9103]

The great officer.

[@shivashankar6218]

The great person 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Indias great son

[@kudaravallilakshmanadas2134]

If shri seshan garu excercised the powers of E. C it was with a noble intention ; an exercise dispassionately exercised. No agendas.

[@ashokkamble697]

TN Sheshan was a breed apart. Integrity at its best. Civil servants today are money making machines.

[@HINDHIAN]

Good to see many comments posted in the recent days... this shows Indians at heart wants TNS back... please clone a younger TNS so CEC gets benefitted

[@Blofeld811]

No honours for this great man. Only for chamchas and shoe lickers

[@sam1160sam]

Lives of great .men all remind us We must make our Lives Sublime and Footprints leave behind us FOOTPRINTS on the Sands of Time

[@SARajanGenesis]

i have great respect for this man ............ what an integrity . my goodness what today CEC in April 2019 ........ helping modi in every way possible . God save our country

[@raushansingh5407]

Respected,TN sheshan sir realised irresponsible politician that Post and autonomy CEC exists..salute u sir

[@shanmugamp5525]

"Unfortunately, in those days, admission had to take forward and backward communities into account, and one of the ways of keeping forward communities out was to ask them to appear for an interview. At my interview, they asked me the fantastic engineering-oriented question, 'Do you know Sivaji Ganesan'? I said yes, I know. The next question was 'How many movies has Sivaji Ganesan acted in?' That question was beyond my depth, and they would not give me a seat." Sivaji Ganesan's debut as an actor was PARASAKTHI released in the year 1952.So the reference might have been to some other actor.

[@satyanarayanaadulapur5732]

Such a great person. I adore him.

[@alexabrahamd]

We lost a great man of India ..no government used his great service after his retirement!! No one wants to work with ethically

[@amitpawar3167]

legend

[@krishnqpanday2951]

We salute for his efforts to upgrade democracy of our country.

[@sunilsawant140]

Sheshan Saheb proved what can do the government officer in their given rights by the Indian Constitution.

[@multicast100]

a clean no non-sense interview.

[@tushar30sep]

Genious❤

[@nehrubh7807]

Good Evening SIR. Wish you all the Best.SINCERE TAMILNADU SESHAN. BH.Nehru SathyaSai. NILGIRIS.

[@rajnishkrmanga]

You were CEC many years ago and set standards of integrity in public life for yourself as well as for the candidates taking part in Assembly and Parliamentary elections in India. We salute you, Sir. Nobody else could match your stature.

[@binoythomas504]

A big salute to late T N Sehan. Only once in a blue moon, India gives birth to a Seshan who leaves great footprints of excellence on the sands of time before they vanish into eternity.

[@jai4u]

Thanks for Cleaning Election Process in India.

[@arhamahmadkhan426]

The best election commissioner india ever had. Hatts off.

[@ucyadav8994]

Who are you? 🤦🏻‍♂️ Human being? Wherever you were in the govt, many new Acts and initiatives were started.

[@pinniti65]

Salute to you Sir. No true Indian will forget you and the wonderful work you did while at EC.

[@gmailuser6380]

one question | do present Election commission seek inputs from you and what's your take on present election commission !

[@sivavelayutham7278]

Ippo silavarudangalaka officers ivar ponra senior officersai kakkai pidiththu madhippadhupol katti thangalin kutrangalil irunthu (rulesai kettu) thappividuvargal; Ivargalum nammai senior enru santhegam ketkirargal enru magizhnthu ninaiththuviduvargal;Idhu AMARAR MGR avargalin atchiyil SDSomasudaram exciseTNGOVT departmentil irunthapodhu niraiya nadanthathu (Naanum Central pensionerthan)

[@SudhindraPranesh]

Common Man misses Officer T N Seshan.

[@ganesansankarraman5638]

His statement that he was asked in the engineering interview whether he knew sivaji Ganesan and further whether he knew how many films the actor had acted, seems to be definitely a case of intellectual anachronism, since the actor grew into fame only in 1952, by which time Sheshan should have been 19 years old, a period much later for that to be. Whether it is a slip and intentional is not known. It is hardly possible to believe that he should have been denied admission for lack of answer for that absurd question, the whole thing lacking plausibility

[@HINDHIAN]

awesome information sir

[@leelaiyer4889]

GREAT MAN. HE IS ALSO A IRON MAN OF INDIA. HE SHOWN TO THE INDIAN PUBLIC WHAT IS THE REAL POWER OF ELECTION COMMISSIONER TILL HE SHOWN NOBODY DARE TO SPEAK TO THE GOVT. JUST SIMPLY NODED THEIR HEAD. NOW A DAYS ATLEAST EC ARE SHOWING THEIR POWER TO SOME EXTENT. GREAT MAN THANKS HIM

[@ghulamrabbani3954]

Towering personality. Rare these days.

[@williewongka379]

Hats off to you with such a memories.

[@akshaya1983]

Where are people like him these days...

[@zamzamcolaa]

caste politics discourage such people. DALITS kar new kids on the block.

[@Sonydir]

Nice to see him again.... Good interview....Where he is living now?

[@imlaqahmad7325]

God Bless TN Seshan. India needs civil servants & Officers like him. Sadly such people are almost extinct these days. Jai Hind.

[@newworld4203]

An officer who knew democracy

[@gururaaj8]

Very Sad to hear that in spite of scoring highest marks in science he was deprived of joining Engineering, just bcoz he coudnt answer how many movies Shivaji acted....

[@balasubramanianr8321]

Nice to listen to an MCC alumni! I too studied there from 1960 -63. What an institution it was!

[@mychessmaster]

Where is he now? Bramins really work for purity.honesty 90%

[@naveenkrsingh8122]

He is of the type : I don't give a fuck. Do your worst.

[@rjeffyremyjeffbutter2227]

but Now what is the EC condition, status,, of his, all work,,,,, EC loosing trust,,,

[@electus4962]

before u doubt my intellect i wrote it twice bc paper was leaked 😂

[@subhashsinghyadav6808]

नमस्ते महाशय।

[@karthickraja8599]

My role model 1) Jayalalitha 2) T.N Seshan 3)...

[@smarajitpunaykanti6463]

I remember hearing his name frequently in early 90s .

[@srikrishnarr6553]

11-11-2019 sad day as sir passed away.In a country of billions where more than half the population are middle , lower middle and poor ...where we see crooked politicians swindle peoples mone.Officers like Mr.Sheshan are the checkpoints to ensure questions are asked then and there publicly when things look staggeringly corrupt.This had led to course corrections by the Government of the day.Pranams to this Great man and may his soul reach the abode of God ...

[@chakrapaniveeraraghavan5409]

Honesty and integrity... Wah... He is a 🐅 tiger

[@Pareshath]

Seven days i will sataya in person

[@sivavelayutham7278]

When I was High school boy, Respected Sir was Madurai Collector ! MY uncle worked under him as RDO/ Indiavil mika siIaralthan Padhavikku AZHAGU!!!!