Privacy Policy

The Indian Institute of Vedic Science & Technology ("IIVST", "we", "us", "our") operates the Rigveda Essence online course platform (the "Platform", "Service"), accessible at iivst.org and its associated application domains. This Policy applies to all visitors, registered students, and moderators who use the Platform.

By creating an account or otherwise using the Platform, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection and use of your information as described here. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use the Platform.

Rigveda Essence is operated by the Indian Institute of Vedic Science & Technology, India. For any privacy-related queries, you may contact us at mail.iivst@gmail.com.

3.1 Information you give us directly

• Account details: full name, email address, password (stored only as a secure irreversible hash, never in plain text), city, country, date of birth, and WhatsApp country code and number.
• Profile information: a profile photo, if you choose to upload one.
• Payment-related information: when you purchase full course access, our payment partner Razorpay processes your payment details (such as card, UPI, or net-banking information). We do not receive or store your full card number, CVV, or banking credentials — we only receive a payment reference ID, amount, and payment status from Razorpay.
• Communications: messages you send to moderators through the in-platform messaging feature, quiz responses, written reflections you submit within lessons, and any correspondence you send us by email.

3.2 Information collected automatically

• Progress data: which lessons and modules you have viewed or completed, quiz scores, badges earned, and certificate issuance records.
• Session data: a secure authentication cookie that keeps you logged in, and basic technical logs (such as timestamps of activity) used for security and to keep the service running reliably.

3.3 Information we do not knowingly collect

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data such as biometric data, precise geolocation, religious/caste identifiers, or government identity numbers. Please do not submit such information to us — for example, in free-text fields like lesson reflections or messages to moderators.

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and administer your account, and verify your identity when you log in;
• Provide access to course content appropriate to your enrolment and payment status;
• Process payments and maintain accurate records of your purchase;
• Track your learning progress, award badges, and generate completion certificates bearing your name and enrolment number;
• Send you service-related emails — for example, welcome emails, password reset links, progress reports, and certificates;
• Enable communication between you and course moderators;
• Maintain the security, integrity, and proper functioning of the Platform, including detecting and preventing fraud or abuse;
• Comply with applicable law, and respond to lawful requests from public authorities; and
• With your separate consent where required, send you optional updates about new modules or offerings.

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you, and we do not sell your personal data to third parties.

Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), we process your personal data on the following bases:

• Consent: you provide informed consent when you create an account and agree to this Policy and our Terms of Service. You may withdraw this consent at any time as described in Section 10.
• Performance of a contract: processing necessary to provide the course you have enrolled in and to process your payment.
• Legitimate purposes recognised under law: for example, responding to your queries, ensuring platform security, and complying with our legal obligations.

We use a single essential, first-party authentication cookie (rv_session) to keep you securely logged in. This cookie is strictly necessary for the Platform to function and cannot be disabled while remaining logged in. We do not use third-party advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or sell your browsing data to ad networks.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share information only in the following limited circumstances, with trusted service providers ("data processors") who are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only to provide services to us:

We may also disclose information where required to: (a) comply with a legal obligation, court order, or lawful request from a government authority; (b) enforce our Terms of Service; (c) protect the rights, property, or safety of IIVST, our students, or the public; or (d) in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to equivalent privacy protections.

We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterward to comply with our legal, accounting, and record-keeping obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. If you request deletion of your account (see Section 10), we will delete or anonymise your personal data within a reasonable time, except where we are required to retain certain records (such as payment records) by law.

We apply reasonable security practices and procedures in line with Indian law, including:

• Passwords are stored only as salted cryptographic hashes and are never visible to us in plain text;
• All data in transit between your browser and our servers is encrypted (HTTPS/TLS);
• Access to student data is restricted to authorised moderators and administrators for legitimate platform-operation purposes;
• Password-reset links are single-use and time-limited.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we work to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security, and you share information with us at your own risk.

Subject to applicable law, including the DPDP Act, 2023, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you;
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data (you can update most account details directly from your Profile page);
• Erase your personal data, including by requesting deletion of your account;
• Withdraw consent for optional processing at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal;
• Grievance redressal — raise a complaint about how we handle your data (see Section 14); and
• Nominate another individual to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity, as provided under the DPDP Act.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at mail.iivst@gmail.com from your registered email address. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law.

Rigveda Essence is intended for adult learners and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18 without verifiable parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data without appropriate consent, please contact us at mail.iivst@gmail.com so we can take appropriate action, including deletion of that data.

Your data may be processed or stored on servers located outside your country of residence, including on infrastructure provided by our hosting and service providers. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your data continues to be protected in a manner consistent with this Policy and applicable law.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post the revised Policy on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Material changes will, where appropriate, also be communicated to you by email or an in-platform notice. Your continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the DPDP Act, 2023, we have designated a Grievance Officer to address your concerns regarding this Policy or our handling of your personal data.