They had 8 children. Baby is the eighth. Four of them died at their early childhood. Lost his father when he was studying in the 7th standard.   Was active in student organization activities from school days.
Used to be an altar boy in the church. Works of rationalists like Kuttippuzha Krishna Pillai, M C Joseph and translations of Bertrand Russell transformed him into a Rationalist. However his rationalism respects humanist values in each religion. Does not practice any religious rituals. Is an atheist.
Had to experience severe police and goonda brutality during college days and during the internal emergency period, when the Central Govt under Mrs Indira Gandhi abrogated all democratic rights and civil liberties of people and muzzled the press

Responsibilities discharged as a student, youth and CPI(M) activist.

• 1972

  Party Membership

• 1972 – 73

  Got elected as the Arts Club Sec of Kollam Sree Narayana College Union. Adoor Goplakrishnan whose Swayamvaram received critical acclaim among film connoisseurs, was invited to inaugurate the Arts Club. EMS Naboodhiripadu inaugurated the collage Union.

• 1973

  Following the murder of President Allende, organized protest demonstration against the role of CIA, in the Coup D’ etat in Chile.

• 1974

  Elected to the Central Executive Committee of SFI as its youngest member at an age of nineteen, during the second All India Conference of SFI at Calcutta.

• 1975 March

  1,2,3 SFI Elected as the Kerala State President of SFI at the Trivandrum SFI Conference.

• 1975 June 26th

  Participated in the CPIM Kerala State Camp at Calicut. Due to the declaration of Emergency, proceedings of it was abruptly concluded with a speech of EMS.

• 1975 July 1st

  Organized protest demonstration at Trivandrum in front of Secretariat. Immediate educational demands of student community were also highlighted. Most of the demonstrators were arrested and subjected to brutal torture in the Cantonment Police Station. G Sudhakaran, M Vijayakumar, Adv Suresh Kumar, Prof Madhavan Pillai, Dr. J Prasad, Dr J B Mohan, Adv Thomas Abraham,………..(to be collected from JB Mohanan), were charged under DIR and imprisoned.

• 1975 – 76

  Organised student conventions at Kannur and Kollam with AKG’s participation.

• 1975 – 76

  Organised signature campaign among students demanding student union election in colleges. As a result of this, from 1976 onwards, indirect student union elections have been introduced in college campuses.

• 1975 – 76

  Organised solidarity programme with students and people of South Africa following the brutal massacre of students in Soweto,

• 1975 – 76

  Organised solidarity campaign with the fighting comrades of Vietnam.

• 1976

  Organised two underground study camps for the SFI cadres at Trivandrum and Calicut, led by EMS.

• 1976

  As part of the underground activities during emergency period, participated in the SFI Conference at Trichur.

• 1977

  Elected to the CPI(M) District Committee, Kollam.

• 1978

  Participated in the international festival of youth and students organized by WFDY (World Federation Of Democratic Youth) and International Union of Students ( IUS ) in Hawana, Cuba along with Prakash Karat, Bimen Basu, Manik Sarkar, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, T P Dasan, Vivan Sundaram, Ramu Kariyat, Mullappilly Ramachandran, Indrani Mazumdar, Ashok Lata Jain and others.

• 1979

  Elected as the All India President of SFI, during the third SFI All India Conference at Patna. Headquarters of work was shifted to Delhi.

• 1980

  Participated in the founding conference of DYFI at Ludhiana, Punjab. Legendry freedom fighters who were comrades in arm of Shaheed Bhaghat Singh – Pandit Shiva Varma and Pandit Kishori Lal participated and addressed the conference, giving in-exhausting inspiration

• 1983

  Elected as the DYFI All India Jt Secretary, from the Calicut DYFI All India Conference

• 1984

  Elected as the Kerala State Committee Member CPI(M) at its Ernakulam State Conference.

• 1986

  MP Rajya Sabha – first term. Was one of the youngest Rajya Sabha Members and was also on the panel of Chairmen in Rajya Sabha.

• 1987

  DYFI All India President from the Chennai All India Conference.

• 1989

  Elected to the Central Committee of CPI(M), at the Trivandrum Party Congress.

• 1989

  Founded Swaralaya, along with some like-minded friends. (Swaralaya is a fraternity which promotes classical music and dance art forms)

• 1992

  MP Rajya Sabha – second term Chairman – Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation.Gave a report suggesting changes in Statute Book ensuring gender justice.

• 1992 – 1998

  CPI(M) Central Secretariat Member.

• 1992

  Founded the National Committee for Solidarity with Cuba. (An organization formed in solidarity with the resisting people of Cuba against the blockades declared upon Cuba by the imperialist nations led by USA)

• 1993

  A shipment of necessities like medicine and food grains were delivered at the Cuban port, resisting the imperialist American blockade. in a ship by name “ Carebian Princess”,flagged off from Haldia port, at Calcutta.

• 1996 – 2000

  Had been one of the General Secretaries of AIPSO. (All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation).

• 1997

  CPI(M) State Secretariat Member from Palakkad Conference. Was dropped from the Central Secretariat.

• 1997

  Was a member of the delegation of Parliamentarians to the UN General Assembly and had an opportunity to address from the UN General Assembly Hall.

• 2002

  Appointed CPI(M) District Organisation Secretary of Alappuzha. Organised anti-war rally with a huge participation. Renowned singer K J Yesudas and mega star Kamal Hasan were also present in the event.
  CPI (M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjit laid the foundation stone for P Krishna Pillai Memorial building, at Thiruvampadi, Alappuzha. The construction for this building named after the founder Secretary of the Party in Kerala, was undertaken, with donations in cash and kind from thousands of Party members and sympathisers. Many donated their gold ornaments, land, cattle and even the scholarship amount and even the pocket money of students.
  The thatched house in Muhamma, where P Krishna Pillai had snake bite while working from underground, was converted into a memorial during this time.

• 2006

  2006 May - Elected as the Member of Legislative Assembly from Kundara Assembly Constituency

• 2006 May 18th

  Sworn in as the Minister for Education & Culture, Govt. of Kerala

• 2011 April 13th

  13th Contested in the Kerala State Legislative Assembly election from Kundara and was elected for the second Consecutive time. This is a record since in this constituency in the previous years, no one had won for a consecutive time to the Assembly, for a second time.

• 2012

  Elected to the PB at the Calicut Party Congress.

• 2014 April 10th

  Contested to Lok Sabha from Kollam as LDF candidate belonging to CPI (M). Got defeated by 37649 votes to RSP candidate of Congress led UDF N K Premachandran. Number of voters 879056, Baby 370879, Premachandran 408528
  Total voting percentage was 72.12% . Baby 42.19%, Premachandran 46.47 %.