Thanya Nathan C., a 24-year-old from Kerala has made history by being the first visually impaired civil court judge in the state. In 2025, she finished her Kerala Judical Service Examination where achieved highest score on the merit list for candidates with benchmark disabilities. And now she is waiting for her official apppointment as a Civil Judge for Junior Division.
Born in Kannur, Kerala, Thanya decided on her career path at a very young age. A bright student, she attended the Modal School for the Blind in Kannur and later gained admission to a five-year BA LLB program at Kannur University, where she achieved the first rank in her LLB.
While attending law school, Thanya faced challenges in finding accessible study resources, but she persevered. She depended significantly on screen-reading software to auditory process her study materials and utilized Braille to jot down important notes. In a discipline characterized by dense textbooks, extensive legal documents, and intricate references, she carved out her own way.
For the past year and a half, Thanya has been practicing law in Thaliparamba and remained committed to innovation. She crafted her legal arguments in Braille and used technology to read documents, only requesting help when dealing with older files that were difficult to access.
Her determination was further bolstered when the Supreme Court of India ruled in 2025 that judicial recruitment must not discriminate against persons with disabilities. This landmark judgment affirmed that no one should be excluded from judicial service solely due to physical disability, calling for inclusive opportunities and fair accommodations.
Inspired by this decision, Thanya applied for the Judicial Service Examination. She cleared the preliminary exam in June, the main examination in September, attended the interview in December, and saw her results announced in February.
Supporting her achievements are her loving family: her father Jagannathan, her mother Babitha, and her older sister Thara, all of whom motivated her to have faith in herself. Thanya’s resolve acts as a source of inspiration for those who still hesitate to pursue their aspirations.
Source: AstroUlagam, The Better India Facebook
