Privacy Policy

Vidyawan, operated by Shiva Tech Innovations (MSME Reg: UDYAM-WB-14-0205610), is committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and protect your data. This policy explains our data practices in plain language.

This policy applies to:

• Users who create accounts on vidyawan.in
• Visitors who browse Vidyawan without logging in
• Parents or guardians registering students (if applicable)
• Anyone who submits inquiries, feedback, or contact forms

We operate on these core principles:

• Transparency: You know what data we collect and why.
• Minimal Collection: We collect only data necessary for learning, safety, and service delivery.
• No Selling: We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing.
• Secure Storage: Data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
• Your Control: You can access, edit, or request deletion of your data.
• Lawful Use: All data use is justified by explicit consent or legitimate business need.

We collect data in two categories: (1) data you provide directly, and (2) data collected automatically as you use our platform.

Legitimate purposes only:

• Fraud Prevention: Detect unusual login patterns (e.g., login from USA at 2:00 AM followed by India login at 2:05 AM).
• Security & Access Control: Block automated attacks, identify compromised accounts, flag suspicious activity.
• Analytics & Insights: Understand geographic distribution of our user base to improve localisation and server placement.
• Service Improvement: Optimize platform performance for different regions, localize content language.
• Legal Compliance: Comply with Indian data residency laws and Government requests (if applicable).
• Payment Security: Validate payment location against card issuing country to prevent fraud.

Your IP/location data is NOT shared with:

• Third-party advertisers or marketing platforms
• Data brokers or location services (except MaxMind for GeoIP lookup)
• Your peers, instructors, or other students
• Government agencies (unless legally compelled via proper channels)

You cannot completely disable IP/location collection while using Vidyawan. However, you can:

• Use a VPN to mask your IP (note: some VPNs may trigger fraud alerts).
• Request data deletion of historical location logs (see Your Rights section).
• Contact privacy@vidyawan.in to discuss specific location privacy concerns.

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, keep you logged in, and understand how the platform is used.

You can control cookies via your browser:

• Chrome/Edge: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies → Allow/Block specific sites
• Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies → Manage exceptions
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Block all cookies (or manage per-site)

Note: Disabling essential cookies may break login and learning features.

Vidyawan does not directly handle credit card information. All payments are processed securely by Razorpay.

When you pay for an internship, we store:

• Transaction ID (provided by Razorpay)
• Amount paid (in rupees)
• Payment date and time
• Payment method type (e.g., "Credit Card", "UPI", "Netbanking") — NOT card details
• Status (Success, Failed, Refunded)

We NEVER directly receive or store:

• Credit card numbers (PAN, CVV, expiry)
• Bank account details
• UPI IDs or wallet credentials
• Full billing address (Razorpay handles this)

Razorpay is a PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant payment gateway operated by Razorpay Software Private Limited. Payment processing follows:

• SSL/TLS encryption in transit
• PCI-DSS 3.2.1 compliance
• Tokenization of recurring payments
• Real-time fraud monitoring

Razorpay's Privacy Policy: razorpay.com/privacy

When you request a refund, Razorpay initiates the reversal. We log the refund request along with:

• Reason for refund
• Request date and approval date
• Refunded amount
• Your account status (e.g., "Refunded, Content Access Revoked")

We use your data only for purposes disclosed in this policy. We do not use your data for anything beyond what is stated here.

• We do NOT sell your data to marketers, recruiters, or data brokers.
• We do NOT share your email address with third parties for promotional purposes.
• We do NOT use your learning data to profile or discriminate.
• We do NOT build detailed behavioral profiles for manipulation.
• We do NOT cross-reference your data with external databases without consent.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure.

Hostinger: Vidyawan is hosted on Hostinger shared hosting infrastructure with:

• Data centres in multiple geographic locations (EU, US, Asia)
• Automatic daily backups with 30-day retention
• DDoS protection and real-time malware scanning
• Uptime SLA of 99.9%

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:

• Notify you within 48 hours via registered email
• Disclose what data was compromised and affected user count
• Provide immediate steps you can take (e.g., password reset)
• Provide contact information for privacy officer

Geographic Location: Your data is primarily stored on servers located in India (Hostinger India data centre) and backed up in geographically distributed servers (EU, US regions for redundancy).

Data Residency: We comply with Indian data protection law and do not transfer personal data outside India without explicit consent.

When you close your account or request data deletion:

• Your account profile is marked "Deleted" and anonymized
• Learning records are retained for 3 years (for transcript/verification)
• Payment records retained for 7 years (per legal requirement)
• Cookies and session data cleared immediately
• Backups deleted after retention cycle (within 90 days)

You have the right to control your data. Submit any request to privacy@vidyawan.in with proof of identity.

You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you, including:

• Complete account profile
• Learning records and quiz scores
• Payment history
• Login and IP history
• Communications with support

Timeline: Within 7 days. Data provided in CSV/PDF format.

You can update incorrect or outdated information:

• Login to your account → Settings → Edit Profile
• Email privacy@vidyawan.in for any data we hold that you can't update

You can request deletion of your personal data. Limitations:

• Payment records retained for 7 years (legal requirement)
• Learning records retained for 3 years (for transcript verification)
• IP logs retained for 12 months (fraud audit)
• We will delete all other personal data within 30 days

You can request your data in a portable, machine-readable format:

• Account profile (JSON/CSV)
• Learning records (PDF with scores, completion dates)
• Certificate details (verifiable QR and ID)

You can ask us to stop processing your data for non-essential purposes (e.g., analytics). Essential processing (account management, learning delivery, fraud prevention) cannot be restricted.

You can object to:

• Marketing emails (click unsubscribe in email footer)
• Analytics tracking (submit opt-out request to privacy@vidyawan.in)
• Location data processing (request explanation in reply to privacy inquiry)

Submit requests to: privacy@vidyawan.in

Include:

• Your full name and registered email
• Specific right you're requesting (e.g., "Right to Access")
• Proof of identity (government ID photo, masked)
• Details of what data you're concerned about

Response Timeline: We will respond within 7–14 working days. Complex requests may take up to 30 days.

If you believe your data has been mishandled, you can:

• Contact us first: privacy@vidyawan.in with full details
• File with the DSIR: If unsatisfied with our response, you can file a complaint with the Department of Science & Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India (if applicable under Indian data protection law)

All data requests receive a response within 7–14 working days. If we cannot fulfill a request (e.g., data retention is legally required), we will explain why in writing.

We may update this policy as our services evolve or in response to legal changes. We will notify you of material changes.

For significant changes, we will:

• Send an email to your registered address
• Display a prominent banner on vidyawan.in for 30 days
• Require you to re-accept the updated policy on next login

Effective Date: 1 January 2024
Last Modified: 27 June 2026
Next Review: Q4 2026 (or earlier if law changes)

Your privacy matters to us.

This policy is our commitment to transparency and respect. If you have questions about how we handle your data, please don't hesitate to contact us.