• Sovietland Nehru Award (1968)
• Sree Jehangir Gandhi Medal (1982)
• Rev. MA Thomas National Human Rights Award (1998)
• Rotary Manavasena Award
• Padma Vibhooshan (1999)
  
  POSITIONS
  
  
• 1952- Member of Madras Legislative Assembly.
  
• 1957- Elected to Kerala Assembly from Thalassery.
  
• 1960- Elected to Kerala Assembly for the second time.
  
• 1968- Appointed as judge in Kerala High Court.
  
• 1970- Member of Law Commission.
  
• 1973- Presiding officer of the Central Government Committee to provide legal help to the poor.
  
• 1973- July 17 to 1980 November 14- As judge in Supreme Court.
  
• 1987- Contested in the Presidential election against R Venkataraman.
  

At present

• A fellow of the Indian Society of Criminology
• A patron of many Sangeeta Sabhas
• Chairman of R Sankaranarayanan Thampi Foundation Council