Dr. Swarupa Deb

Education

• PhD, Birla Institute of Science and Technology, Pilani, Rajasthan (2019)
• M.A. Sociology, Pondicherry Central University (2012)
• B.A., LL.B., Bangalore University, Bangalore (2010)

Profile

Swarupa Deb is a human rights practitioner with a background in Law and Sociology, bringing over a decade of experience working with transgender communities in North East India. Swarupa has been awarded the ICSSR National Fellowship 2024-25 for her research on urban livability and social justice concerns of transgender communities.

Previously, she served as a research associate at Colorado State University and CWS, Bengaluru, focusing on a gender and conservation project. She collaborates with several trans-led community organisations and networks, advocating for inclusive policies in North East India. Swarupa has also shared her research and community engagement experiences at platforms such as the DAAD panel on spatial methods, the AASJ panel on social justice, Stanford University, and others.
When not immersed in research and advocacy pursuits, Swarupa dabbles in painting, meme-making and harbours ambitions of becoming a comic artist.

Research Interest

Swarupa’s research interests delve into the questions of marginality, body politics, and inclusive policies with respect to gender-diverse communities.

Publications

Journal Articles

• Nandan, A. and Deb, S. 2025, “Erased Pasts and the Politics of Space in Agartala”. Economic and Political Weekly.
• Nandan, A. and Deb, S. (2024). “Ambiguous Identity and Uncertain Belonging: Assessing the Lives of Undocumented Brihannalas in the Backdrop of the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Journal of South Asian Studies, Taylor and Francis. Vol. 46(6), pp. 1-18.
• Deb, S. (2020). “Living on the Edge: COVID-19 Adds to Distress and Discrimination of Indian Transgender Communities”. Health and Human Rights Journal. Harvard University Publication. Viewpoint, March 26, 2020.
• Agarwal, V. and Deb, S. (2018). “Art forms of the marginalised: Use of Folk media for political sensitization and expression of gender non-conformitivity in Rajasthan and West Bengal”. In Media, Culture and Ethics, edited by Sangeeta Sharma, Sushila Shekhawat and Anupam Yadav. Macmillan Publisher. pp. 216-221. 2018. ISBN 938768719-8.
• Bhattacharya, S., Deb, S., Hari Nair, Tanu Shukla, Anupam Yadav. (2017). “Critical Perspectives on the National Policy on Education 2016”. Higher Education for the Future. Sage Publication. Volume. 4, pp. 129-146. ISSN 2347-6311.
• Deb, S. (2017). “Between Borders: A study of the migrant transgender community in Tripura”. Man and Society: A Journal for North East Studies. Vol. 15, pp. 136-158. 2017. ISSN 2229- 4058.
• Deb, S. (2017). “The Legends of Aravan, Bahuchara and Yellamma: The Traditional Transgender communities in India”. Roots: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Researches. Vol. 3, pp. 91-94. 2017. ISSN 2349-8684.

Popular Media

• The silenced struggles of transmen. Deccan Herald. 4 August 2025
• Kerala High Court’s recognition of trans family is progressive but precarious. Scroll.in. 19 July 2025
• Speaking Back Hijra Curses and Sexual Insults as Survival Strategies. The Mooknayak English. 01 June 2025
• How BR Ambedkar’s radical critique of caste could transform transgender activism in India. Scroll.in 14 April 2025
• Fashion as liberation: Breaking the gender mould. Deccan Herald. 2 April 2025
• How Trump’s mandate on ‘biological truth’ could hurt transgender activism in South Asia. Scroll.in 12 February 2025
• A non-binary lens on classroom inclusivity. Deccan Herald. 27 January 2025
• India’s Pride marches are important calls for justice but elitist – they must be democratised. Scroll.in. 27 November 2024.
• Transgressing gender with religious sanction: The case of the Jogappas. Scroll.in. 26 August, 2024
• Transgender Lives in India: Invisible Bodies and Shattered Dignity. Scintilla Magazine. 10 July, 2020