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A year after the Supreme Court allowed visually impaired to enter the judicial service, 24-year-old Thanya Nathan has become the first visually challenged candidate to cleared the Kerala Judicial Service Examination, 2025, securing a place in the Civil Judges (Junior Division) cadre.
As she eagerly waits for her appointment letter, PTI quoted Nathan saying she is ready to face the challenges of the profession.
“I know it will be a challenging career. But technology has advanced to a stage where most judicial work can be handled using assistive tools such as screen readers and dictation software,” she said.
She, however, pointed out that infrastructure accessibility would be the biggest challenge ahead. “Our systems are not fully accessible yet.
I hope the government will take appropriate steps so that I can work comfortably,” she said.
Hailing from Kannur district, she began her education at a special school in Dharmadom, studied up to Class 10 at Parassinikadavu High School, and completed her higher secondary education at Morazha Government Higher Secondary School.
It was while studying plus two that Nathan decided to pursue law. She earned her LLB degree with first-rank honours and subsequently enrolled as an advocate, Mathrubhumi reported. She was the only student with a visual disability in the college.
“The staff were not used to teaching students with disabilities, but they made an effort to understand my needs and support me, which helped me overcome the gap,” she said.
After enrolling as an advocate, Nathan started her practice under lawyer KG Sunilkumar in Thaliparamba, Kannur.
Also Read: Visually Impaired Can’t Be Denied Judicial Service Jobs: Supreme Court
In 2025, the Supreme Court Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that visually impaired persons cannot be denied opportunity of employment in judicial services.
“That judgment inspired me to apply when the notification for the examination was issued,” Nathan said, adding that she prepared for the examination on her own, making notes using Braille scripts. For the interview round, she sought guidance from a lawyer in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The interview panel asked how I planned to work with my disability. I explained my approach, and I believe my answers convinced them,” she said.
Lauding her hard work, lawyer KG Sunilkumar said Nathan was sharp and methodical.
“After the shift from the IPC to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, even experienced lawyers get confused. But if you ask Thanya, she can recall sections instantly. She handles e-documents with ease and has appeared in court several times,” he said.
According to PTI, the Kerala High Court has forwarded the selection list to the state government, which will issue the appointment order.
Joyson Sajan, who has cerebral palsy, secured the second position.
