Kerala's Thanya C Nathan Set To Become First Visually Challenged Judge

The 24-year-old, LLB first rank holder Thanya has been ranked first in the merit list of persons with benchmark disabilities in the recently held Judicial Service Examination for selection of Civil Judges (Junior Division) in Kerala. Another youth with cerebral palsy secured the second position under the same category.

Thanya is visually challenged from birth, but was not ready to drop her dreams due to her disability. She studied in a special school for the blind till the 7th standard and completed her classes till Plus Two from normal schools in Kannur. Thanya decided that she would do LLB after her Plus Two, and she did it with flying colours. She passed out the LLB with a first rank and enrolled herself as an advocate. After enrolling as an advocate, Nathan began practising under lawyer K G Sunilkumar in Thaliparamba, Kannur. It was during this period that the Supreme Court judgment delivered by Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan in 2025 was pronounced.

"At that time, a lot of people asked me whether I would be able to do it. LLB has a heavy syllabus, and lots of tasks we have to complete, but I was like, let me try, as taking a chance was not at all a wrong thing," Thanya told PTI with a proud smile. But at that time, I was not at all sure whether I would be able to appear for this exam because there was an explicit bar on one hundred percent of visually impaired people from appearing for this exam. But when the Supreme Court ruling came, that time it was really a revolution, I should say, then I applied for the exam, gave the exam, and now I am here," Thanya said.

In a landmark judgement in 2025, a division bench of the Supreme Court had ruled that visually impaired candidates cannot be said to be 'not suitable' for judicial service and they are eligible to participate in selection for posts in judicial services, paving the way for people like Thanya to pursue their dreams.

Thanya, who is now awaiting her appointment order, expressed confidence that she would be able to perform well once appointed as a civil judge, but thinks the less accessible infrastructure systems for the differently abled would be the main challenge.

"What I would say is never consider yourself as weak, because having some disability is not at all our fault, it is not anyone's fault. So if you start thinking about it and sit quietly, it will not be fair. So find your abilities; every person will have certain abilities, and chances will come in your life. Hard work and consistency are the main keys," she said.