About Varta in Kolkata, Kolkata

Varta Trust promotes dialogue and understanding on gender and sexuality as issues intimate and integral to human development in India. We look at gender and sexuality through the prism of intersections with age, class, caste, religion, race, marital status, geographical location, sexual and reproductive health, HIV, disability, mental health, education, livelihood, social security, environment and human rights.

Varta Trust aims to publish multi-format and mutli-lingual publications for mass audiences as platforms for dialogue on gender and sexuality. The “Varta” webzine (in a blog format till July 2016) is the first of these publications. Our publishing work is complemented by activities around awareness generation through public events, referrals to services, training, social research, and legal, policy and media advocacy on gender and sexuality.

Currently, a group of 21 people from the fields of journalism, social work, social and biomedical research, human rights and law, health, academics, art, information technology, engineering, business and financial management, event management and queer community mobilization forms the larger Varta team. As a registered trust, Varta is lead by a three-member Board of Trustees consisting of Pawan Dhall, Settlor; Kaushik Gupta, Trustee; and Madhuja Nandi, Trustee.

The first meeting of Varta was held on June 3, 2012 in Kolkata, and the “Varta” blog started on August 1, 2013. Varta was registered as a trust on May 14, 2014 with the ADSR Sealdah, District South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, with number IV - 00322 of 2014.

Email: vartablog@gmail.com

Website (and webzine): www.vartagensex.org

Blog address: http://varta2013.blogspot.in/

Blog and website editor: Pawan Dhall

Please also visit Queer Friendly Lawyers Network - West Bengal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/qfln.westbengal

Varta Trust acknowledges the support provided by all its well wishers (individuals and organizations), whether moral, in terms of ideas, or in the form of resources – you know who you are.

Credit for Varta logos used in profile and cover pictures: Rudra Kishore Mandal

Get Directions