Thanya Nathan has made history by becoming the first visually challenged person to clear Kerala’s judiciary examinations. She secured the top rank among candidates with disabilities in the Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam.

Nathan, who is 100 per cent visually impaired, completed her law degree from Kannur University, where she graduated as the first rank holder. She later practised as a lawyer in Taliparamba in Kannur district before deciding to appear for the judicial service exams.

Her success comes less than a year after a landmark Supreme Court judgment that said visually impaired candidates are eligible to be appointed to judicial services in India.

In March 2025, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ruled that people with disabilities should not face discrimination in judicial services. The Court directed States to take positive steps to create an inclusive system and made it clear that no candidate can be denied an opportunity simply because of a disability