Navin Chawla was educated at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, and went on to read History at St Stephens College, Delhi University. He took another degree in History at London University, and also obtained a diploma in Social Administration from the London School of Economics. Later, he was a visiting fellow at Queen Elizabeth House at Oxford University.He joined the IAS in 1969 and rose to become Secretary to the Government of India. He was appointed Election Commissioner in 2005 and Chief Election Commissioner in April 2009, when he conducted the General Elections in India in May 2009. During the course of his interesting and varied career, he met Mother Teresa in 1975 and remained closely associated with her till her death in 1997. Mother Teresa inspired him to take up the cause of the poor and marginalized, including the leprosy affected in India. In 1997, he wrote a report on the leprosy situation in India, which, not surprisingly, was released by Mother Teresa herself in New Delhi in October 1997. Since then, the author has continued to espouse the cause of the disabled and leprosy affected in India. In 1992, he wrote this widely acknowledged biography of Mother Teresa, which has since been translated into fourteen languages and the proceeds of which go mainly to charity. He is married to the well known art conservator and writer Rupika Chawla. They have two daughter