At just 24 years old, Thanya Nathan C is on the verge of making history as Kerala’s first visually impaired civil court judge, a milestone that showed us what strength looked to us.
After qualifying in the Kerala Judicial Service Examination 2025, Thanya topped the merit list for candidates with benchmark disabilities and is now awaiting her official appointment as Civil Judge (Junior Division).
For Thanya, studying law was never just about building a career. It was about empowerment.
“Studying law is a form of protection, especially for marginalised communities like ours,” she said.
Born in Kannur, Thanya’s journey was shaped by determination from a young age. While many children were still discovering their dreams, she had already chosen hers. In class 10, the desire to become a lawyer began. By class 12, she had committed herself fully to that path.
She gained admission into the five-year BA LLB programme at Kannur University and graduated with first rank in LLB, proving that barriers could never define brilliance.
Her road, however, was far from easy.
Thanya completed her early education at the Model School for the Blind in Kannur, where she learned Braille and essential life skills. But when she entered law school, accessible study materials were scarce.
Instead of giving up, she adapted.
She relied heavily on screen-reading software to listen to study materials and used Braille to write down key notes. In a field filled with thick textbooks, lengthy legal texts, and complex references, she found her own way forward.
“When I was studying law, accessible reading material was very limited, especially in law,” she shared.
Even while practising as a lawyer in Thaliparamba over the past one and a half years, she continued to innovate. She prepared arguments in Braille and used technology to read documents, seeking help only when older files were difficult to access.
Her determination was strengthened further when the Supreme Court of India ruled in 2025 that judicial recruitment must not discriminate against persons with disabilities.
The landmark judgment affirmed that no one should be excluded from judicial service solely due to physical disability and called for inclusive opportunities and fair accommodations.
Inspired by that decision, Thanya applied for the Judicial ServiceExamination. She cleared the preliminary exam in June, the main examination in September, attended the interview in December, and saw her results announced in February.
Behind her success stands a proud family, father Jagannathan, mother Babitha, and elder sister Thara, who encouraged her to believe in herself.
Her mother described the achievement as a deeply emotional moment.
“We guided her, but everything else she did alone,” she said.
She may soon sit on the judge’s bench, but today she already stands as a beacon of inspiration for countless others.
Some people change laws. Some people change history. Thanya Nathan is doing both.
Source / Image Credit : The News Minute , TheBetterIndia
