Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Shikhar Institute Faculty App and Student App

Last Updated: May 29, 2025

At Shikhar Institute, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our faculty members, students, and administrators. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and safeguard your personal information when using the Shikhar Institute Faculty App and Student App.

By using our services, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.

1. Target Audience and Age Requirements

This app is designed for professional and educational use by:

  • Faculty members (18+ years)
  • Administrative staff (18+ years)
  • Students and their guardians (with parental consent for users under 18)

Age Restrictions:

  • Users must be 18+ to create accounts independently
  • Users under 18 require parental consent and supervision
  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Faculty Information

When an administrator registers a faculty member, we collect:

Personal Information:

  • Full name, phone number, email address
  • Date of birth, gender, residential address
  • Emergency contact information

Professional Information:

  • Educational qualifications and certificates
  • Teaching experience and subject expertise
  • Faculty ID, employment records, salary details
  • Professional development and training records

Authentication Data:

  • Username and securely encrypted passwords
  • Identity verification documents (as required by law)

2.2 Student Information

When registering students, we collect:

Personal Information:

  • Student name, date of birth, gender
  • Guardian/parent contact details
  • Address and emergency contact information

Academic Information:

  • Class enrollment, subjects, academic records
  • Attendance data, grades, and performance metrics
  • Educational history and progress reports

Financial Information:

  • Fee payment records and transaction history
  • Auto-Pay enrollment status and payment methods
  • Billing information and invoices

2.3 Technical and Usage Data

App Usage Information:

  • Features accessed, session duration
  • Login activity and timestamps
  • Error reports and crash logs

Device Information:

  • Device model and operating system version
  • IP address and network information
  • App version and installation details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Core Educational Services

  • Managing faculty employment and academic records
  • Student enrollment and academic progress tracking
  • Facilitating communication between faculty, students, and administration
  • Providing educational content and resources

3.2 Administrative Functions

  • Processing fee payments and maintaining financial records
  • Generating reports for educational compliance
  • Managing user accounts and access permissions
  • Maintaining institutional records as required by law

3.3 Communication and Notifications

  • Sending important academic updates and announcements
  • Fee payment reminders and transaction confirmations
  • Emergency notifications and safety alerts
  • Course-related communications and schedules

3.4 Service Improvement

  • Analyzing app usage to enhance user experience
  • Identifying and fixing technical issues
  • Developing new features based on user needs
  • Ensuring app security and performance optimization

We do not use personal data for advertising or marketing to third parties.

4. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

4.1 We Do Not Sell Your Data

We never sell, rent, or trade personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

4.2 Authorized Data Sharing

We may share information only in these circumstances:

Legal Compliance:

  • When required by law, court orders, or government regulations
  • To comply with educational board requirements and audits
  • For legal proceedings or regulatory investigations

Trusted Service Providers: We work with vetted third-party services under strict data protection agreements:

  • Payment Processing: Razorpay (secure financial transactions)
  • Cloud Storage: Google Firebase (encrypted data storage)
  • Communication: WhatsApp Business API (institutional messaging)
  • Analytics: Anonymous usage statistics for app improvement

Emergency Situations:

  • To protect the safety of users or prevent harm
  • In case of medical emergencies involving students or faculty

4.3 Third-Party Privacy Policies

Our service providers maintain their own privacy policies:

5. Data Security and Protection

5.1 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security protocols:

Encryption:

  • End-to-end encryption for sensitive data transmission
  • Encrypted storage of personal and financial information
  • Secure password hashing and authentication

Access Controls:

  • Role-based access permissions
  • Multi-factor authentication for administrators
  • Regular access reviews and permission audits

Infrastructure Security:

  • Secure cloud hosting with redundancy
  • Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
  • Automated threat detection and monitoring

5.2 Data Breach Response

In the unlikely event of a data breach:

  • We will notify affected users within 72 hours
  • Immediate steps will be taken to secure compromised systems
  • We will cooperate with authorities and provide necessary support

User Responsibility: Keep your login credentials confidential and report suspicious activity immediately.

6. Payment Processing and Auto-Pay

6.1 Payment Security

  • All transactions are processed through PCI DSS compliant payment gateways
  • We do not store complete credit card or banking information
  • Payment confirmations are sent via email and SMS

6.2 Auto-Pay Service

  • Users can enroll in automatic fee payment for convenience
  • Clear disclosure of payment amounts and due dates
  • Easy cancellation process before scheduled payments
  • Full transaction history and receipt management

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request copies of your personal information
  • Update: Correct inaccurate or outdated information
  • Delete: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal requirements)
  • Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
  • Restrict: Limit certain types of data processing

7.2 Communication Preferences

  • Opt-out of non-essential notifications
  • Choose preferred communication channels
  • Manage promotional message preferences

7.3 Account Deletion

Complete Account Deletion Process:

  1. Contact us at mail@shikharinstitute.in
  2. Verify your identity for security purposes
  3. We will process deletion within 30 days
  4. Some data may be retained as required by law

What Gets Deleted:

  • Personal profile information
  • Communication history
  • App preferences and settings
  • Non-essential usage data

What May Be Retained:

  • Financial records (as required by law)
  • Academic transcripts (for educational compliance)
  • Legal compliance data

Account Deletion Page: Delete My Account

8. Data Retention

8.1 Retention Periods

  • Active Users: Data retained while account is active
  • Inactive Accounts: Data may be deleted after 2 years of inactivity
  • Financial Records: Retained for 7 years as required by law
  • Academic Records: Retained as per educational board requirements

8.2 Automatic Deletion

  • Temporary data (logs, cache) deleted automatically
  • Expired session data removed immediately
  • Unnecessary technical data purged regularly

9. Cookies and Tracking

9.1 Types of Data Collection

Essential Data:

  • Session management for secure login
  • App functionality and user preferences
  • Error reporting for service improvement

Analytics Data:

  • Anonymous usage statistics
  • Performance monitoring
  • Crash reporting (no personal data)

9.2 No Advertising Tracking

  • We do not use advertising cookies
  • No third-party advertising networks
  • No behavioral tracking for marketing purposes

10. Compliance and Standards

10.1 Regulatory Compliance

  • Google Play Developer Policies: Full compliance with app store requirements
  • Indian IT Act 2000: Compliance with Indian data protection laws
  • Educational Regulations: Adherence to educational board requirements
  • Payment Card Industry (PCI DSS): Secure payment processing standards

10.2 International Standards

  • ISO 27001: Information security management
  • SOC 2: Service organization controls for security
  • GDPR Principles: Privacy by design and data minimization

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

11.1 Policy Updates

  • We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements
  • Significant changes will be communicated via app notifications and email
  • Continued use of the app constitutes acceptance of updated terms

11.2 Version History

  • Current Version: 3.0 (May 29, 2025)
  • Previous Update: March 2025
  • All versions archived and available upon request

12. Contact Information

12.1 Privacy Officer

For privacy-related questions or concerns:

📧 Email: mail@shikharinstitute.in
📞 Phone: +91 97556 66665
🏢 Address: Shikhar Institute, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India
🌐 Website: www.shikharinstitute.in

12.2 Response Times

  • General inquiries: 48 hours
  • Data deletion requests: 30 days maximum
  • Security concerns: Immediate response

12.3 Escalation Process

If you’re not satisfied with our response:

  1. Contact our Privacy Officer directly
  2. Request escalation to management
  3. File complaints with relevant authorities if needed

13. Definitions

Personal Data: Any information that can identify an individual
Processing: Any operation performed on personal data
Data Controller: Shikhar Institute (determines purposes of data processing)
Data Processor: Third-party services that process data on our behalf
User: Any person using our apps (faculty, students, administrators)

This Privacy Policy is effective as of May 29, 2025, and applies to all users of Shikhar Institute Faculty App and Student App.