Education and Experience
M.A. (English Literature), First Class First, University of Travancore, Kerala;   B.Sc.(Economics), First class Honours, London School of Economics; Lecturer, University of Travancore, 1943; Journalist with "The Hindu" Madras and 'Times of India' Bombay, 1944-45; London correspondent of  'Social Welfare' - a weekly from Bombay edited by K.M. Munshi, 1945-48; 

Joined the Indian Foreign Service, 1949 and served with the Indian Missions in Rangoon, Tokyo, London, Australia and Hanoi and held different positions in the Ministry of External Affairs; From 1954 to 1955 taught Economic Administration at Delhi School of Economics and was also Joint Director of the Orientation Centre for Foreign Technicians; India's Ambassador to Thailand, 1967-69, Turkey, 1973-75,

The People's Republic of China, 1976-78; Secretary, Ministry of  External Affairs, 1976; After retirement from Foreign Service in 1978 was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in January 1979 and held the post till October 1980; Appointed Ambassador to United States of America, 1980-1984. 

Elected to Lok Sabha (House of the Pople of Indian Parliament) for three successive terms in 1984, 1989 and 1991; Union Minister of State for (i) Planning, 1985, (ii) External Affairs, 1985-86, and (iii) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, Space, Electronics and Ocean Development and Vice President, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1986-89. 

Had been Member of Indian delegation to (i) United Nations General Assembly, 1979, (ii) the U.N. Security Council in November 1985 on Namibian Independence, (iii) Conference of  Non-aligned Nations at Harare in 1986,  and (iv) the Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly in May 1986 on the critical situation in Africa. 

Member of the Universal Academy of Cultures, Paris; Honorary Fellow of London School of Economics; Honorary Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore; Honorary Fellow of Centre for Development Studies, Kerala; Awarded Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1970-72 for study of Nehru's Non-alignment. 

Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) University of Toledo, USA; Doctor of  Laws (Honoris Causa) Australian National University; Australian National University has instituted an annual " K.R. Narayanan Oration"; Honorary Professor of Bishkek Humanities University (Kyrghyz Republic); Vachaspati (D. Litt.) (Honoris Causa) Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi. 

President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations; President, Indian Institute of  Public Administration; President, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Cultures, Calcutta;   Chancellor of Delhi University, Punjab University, Pondicherry University, Assam University, North Eastern Hill  University and Gandhigram Rural Institute 
(Deemed University); Visitor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University Institute of   Journalism, Bhopal; Visitor of Madras School of Economics; Patron of the International Award for Young People - India; Honorary Chair for the 21st Festival of Nations of the Institute of  International Education, Houston, U.S.A. for the year 1997. 

Chairman of (i) Jury of the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, (ii) International Jury for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, (iii) The Advisory Committee for the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award, (iv) The Jury for International Gandhi Award for Leprosy, (v) The Jury for Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, (vi) The Jury for Dr B.R. Ambedkar Award for Social Understanding and Upliftment of Weaker Sections, (vii) The Jury for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Award for Social Change, (viii) Jury for G.D. Birla Awards for Humanism, India's Heritage and Culture and Rural Upliftment, (ix) Jury for Communal Harmony Awards, and (x) Jury for the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad International Award. 

Author of, (i) "India and America : Essays in Understanding" (ii) "Images and Insights"; (iii) "Non Alignment in Contemporary International Relations" (Joint Authorship); and (iv) of many articles on social, political, International and literary matters. 

Vice-President of India and ex-officio Chairman, Rajya Sabha from 21.8.1992 to July, 1997.