Privacy Policy for Sanatan Accreditation Board

At Sanatan Accreditation Board, accessible at www.sanatanboards.com one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by Sanatan Accreditation Board and how we use it.

If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us through email at info@sanatanboards.com

This privacy policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in Sanatan Accreditation Board. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website.

Consent

By using our website, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.

Information we collect

The personal information that you are asked to provide, and the reasons why you are asked to provide it, will be made clear to you at the point we ask you to provide your personal information.

If you contact us directly, we may receive additional information about you such as your name, email address, phone number, the contents of the message and/or attachments you may send us, and any other information you may choose to provide.

When you register for an Account, we may ask for your contact information, including items such as name, company name, address, email address, and telephone number.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect in various ways, including to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain our website
• Improve, personalize, and expand our website
• Understand and analyze how you use our website
• Develop new products, services, features, and functionality
• Communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for marketing and promotional purposes
• Send you emails
• Find and prevent fraud

Log Files

Sanatan Accreditation Board follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit websites. All hosting companies do this and a part of hosting services’ analytics. The information collected by log files include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks. These are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. The purpose of the information is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking users’ movement on the website, and gathering demographic information.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Like any other website, Sanatan Accreditation Board uses ‘cookies’. These cookies are used to store information including visitors’ preferences, and the pages on the website that the visitor accessed or visited. The information is used to optimize the users’ experience by customizing our web page content based on visitors’ browser type and/or other information.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

Google is one of a third-party vendor on our site. It also uses cookies, known as DART cookies, to serve ads to our site visitors based upon their visit to www.website.com and other sites on the internet. However, visitors may choose to decline the use of DART cookies by visiting the Google ad and content network Privacy Policy at the following URL – https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

Some of advertisers on our site may use cookies and web beacons. Our advertising partners are listed below. Each of our advertising partners has their own Privacy Policy for their policies on user data. For easier access, we hyperlinked to their Privacy Policies below.

• Google
• https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads

Advertising Partners Privacy Policies

You may consult this list to find the Privacy Policy for each of the advertising partners of Sanatan Accreditation Board.

Third-party ad servers or ad networks uses technologies like cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons that are used in their respective advertisements and links that appear on Sanatan Accreditation Board, which are sent directly to users’ browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. These technologies are used to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and/or to personalize the advertising content that you see on websites that you visit.

Note that Sanatan Accreditation Board has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

Third-Party Privacy Policies

Sanatan Accreditation Board Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers or websites. Thus, we are advising you to consult the respective Privacy Policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information. It may include their practices and instructions about how to opt-out of certain options. You may find a complete list of these Privacy Policies and their links here: Privacy Policy Links.

You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options. To know more detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers, it can be found at the browsers’ respective websites. What Are Cookies?

CCPA Privacy Policy (Do Not Sell My Personal Information)

Under the CCPA, among other rights, California consumers have the right to:

Request that a business that collects a consumer’s personal data disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data that a business has collected about consumers.

Request that a business delete any personal data about the consumer that a business has collected.

Request that a business that sells a consumer’s personal data, not sell the consumer’s personal data.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

GDPR Privacy Policy (Data Protection Rights)

We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:

The right to access – You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.

The right to rectification – You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request that we complete the information you believe is incomplete.

The right to erasure – You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to data portability – You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

Children’s Information

Another part of our priority is adding protection for children while using the internet. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and/or monitor and guide their online activity.

Sanatan Accreditation Board does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Sanatan Accreditation Board (“SAB,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.sanatanboards.com, apply for accreditation, register for examinations, or utilize our other services (collectively, the “Platform”) .

Sanatan Accreditation Board is a recognized body dedicated to upholding the standards of Sanatan education and institutional accreditation. Given the sensitive nature of educational records and professional certifications we handle, we take our data protection responsibilities seriously. This policy applies to all users of our Platform, including but not limited to educational institutions seeking accreditation, individual applicants (students, scholars, or professionals), faculty members, and general website visitors .

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your data. By accessing or using our Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not access or use the Platform.

2. Our Role as Data Controller & Contact Information

Sanatan Accreditation Board is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through the Platform . This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your information.

If you have any questions about this policy or our data protection practices, please contact our designated Grievance Officer/Data Protection Officer:

• Name: Sanatan Dharma Accreditation Boards
• Designation: Grievance Officer
• Email: privacy@sanatanboards.com
• Postal Address: B-401, Om Kaveri CHS Ltd, Nagindas Pada, Next to Shivsena Office, Nalasopara (East), Dist.- Palghar, Maharashtra 401209 
• Phone: 8668266780 

In accordance with the Indian Information Technology Act, 2000 and the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we are committed to addressing any discrepancies or grievances in a timely manner. We will endeavor to resolve your concerns within one month of receiving a formal request .

3. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information to provide and improve our services to you. The categories of data we collect are outlined below .

3.1. Information You Provide Directly (Direct Interactions)

You may provide us with information when you fill out forms on our website, apply for accreditation, or correspond with us. This includes:

• Identity Data: Full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and a government-issued identification number (e.g., Aadhaar, Passport, or Driver’s License) for verification purposes.
• Contact Data: Email address, postal address, and telephone numbers.
• Professional & Academic Data: Educational qualifications, certificates, diplomas, resumes/CVs, institutional affiliation, professional designations, and publications.
• Accreditation Data: Details regarding the courses, curricula, faculty qualifications, and infrastructure of institutions applying for accreditation.
• Financial Data: Payment card details, bank account information, and UPI IDs required for processing application fees, examination fees, or annual subscription fees . Please note: We use third-party payment gateways (e.g., Razorpay, PayU) and do not store your full financial data on our servers. We only retain transaction references and the status of payment.
• Communication Data: The content of messages, emails, or attachments you send us when seeking support or making inquiries.

3.2. Information Collected Automatically (Automated Technologies)

As you navigate our Platform, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment and browsing behavior using cookies and log files . This includes:

• Technical Data: Your IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, operating system, and device type.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, such as the pages you visit, the links you click, the duration of your visit, and the referring URL .

3.3. Information from Third Parties

We may receive personal data about you from various third parties, such as:

• Analytics providers (like Google Analytics).
• Background verification agencies that we may engage to validate the credentials provided by applicants.
• Partner institutions or educational boards that share information about applicants or nominees.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following legitimate business purposes and legal obligations :

4.1. To Provide and Manage Our Services

• Accreditation Processing: To assess, verify, and process applications for accreditation from individuals and institutions. This includes evaluating academic credentials and determining eligibility.
• Examination Administration: To register candidates for examinations, schedule tests, communicate results, and issue certificates and mark sheets.
• Maintenance of Register: To maintain a public or private register of accredited institutions and certified individuals, as mandated by our bylaws.

4.2. To Communicate with You

• Service Notifications: To send you critical information regarding your application status, examination dates, fee receipts, and changes to our terms or policies.
• Marketing and Updates: With your consent, to send you newsletters, updates about new accreditation programs, workshops, and seminars. You may opt out of these communications at any time .

4.3. To Improve and Analyze Our Platform

• Website Optimization: To understand how users interact with our website so we can improve its functionality, layout, and content.
• Development: To develop new services, features, and accreditation criteria based on user trends and feedback.

4.4. To Ensure Security and Prevent Fraud

• Security: To protect the security and integrity of our website and data systems.
• Fraud Prevention: To verify identities and prevent fraudulent applications, unauthorized payments, or misrepresentation of credentials.

4.5. To Comply with Legal Obligations

• Regulatory Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, such as responding to a subpoena or court order.

5. Legal Basis for Processing (EEA and UK Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, our processing of your personal data is based on the following lawful grounds under the GDPR :

• Performance of a Contract: Processing necessary to provide you with accreditation services, which constitute a contract between us.
• Legal Obligation: Processing necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party), provided your rights do not override those interests. Our legitimate interests include improving our services, preventing fraud, and ensuring network security.
• Consent: Processing for marketing communications, where we have obtained your explicit consent.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Platform uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to distinguish you from other users, enhance your browsing experience, and collect usage data .

6.1. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit a website .

6.2. Types of Cookies We Use

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: These are essential for the operation of our website. They enable core functionalities such as security, network management, and accessibility. You cannot disable these.
• Functional Cookies: These are used to recognize you when you return to our website. They allow us to personalize content and remember your preferences (e.g., language selection).
• Performance/Analytical Cookies: These allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our website. This helps us improve the way our website works (e.g., Google Analytics) .
• Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed. We currently do not engage in behavioral advertising; however, if we partner with third-party ad networks in the future, this section will be updated accordingly. Please note that the existing sanatanboards.com site lists third-party advertising partners; however, for an accreditation body, we recommend limiting or eliminating such practices .

6.3. Managing Cookies

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our website may become inaccessible or not function properly .

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not rent, sell, or share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

7.1. Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party vendors to perform functions on our behalf. These include:

• IT infrastructure providers (cloud hosting services).
• Payment gateway providers (to process your financial transactions) .
• Email service providers (to distribute newsletters and updates).
• Analytics providers (like Google).

These service providers have access to personal data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are contractually bound to protect your data.

7.2. Regulatory and Legal Authorities

We may disclose personal data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).

7.3. Professional Bodies and Institutions

With your explicit consent, or as part of the accreditation process, we may share your credentials with affiliated institutions, examination centers, or other educational boards for verification purposes.

7.4. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal data may be among the assets transferred. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or use of your information.

8. International Data Transfers

The data we collect may be stored and processed in India. However, given the global nature of education, some of our service providers may operate outside India (e.g., cloud infrastructure providers based in the USA or Singapore).

If we transfer your personal data to other countries, we will take steps to ensure that your information receives the same level of protection as it does in India, including by entering into standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities .

9. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements .

• Accreditation Records: For accredited individuals and institutions, we may retain core identity and accreditation status data indefinitely to maintain historical registers and verify credentials in the future.
• Application Data: If an application is rejected or incomplete, we may retain the data for a period of up to three (3) years to handle any appeals or future re-applications.
• Financial Records: Transaction data is retained for as long as required by Indian tax law (currently six years).
• Website Usage Data: Analytics data is retained for a period of 26 months.

10. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data :

10.1. For All Users

• Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data held by us.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions (e.g., where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected).

10.2. For EEA and UK Residents (GDPR)

• Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
• Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, including for direct marketing.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

10.3. For California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data we have collected about you, and to request deletion of your personal data. You also have the right to opt-out of the “sale” of your personal data. We do not sell personal data .

10.4. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@sanatanboards.com. We will respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally, it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our Platform and services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18 . An exception may be made for students appearing for school-level certifications; however, in such cases, we require the consent and involvement of a parent, guardian, or the sponsoring educational institution. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal data without your consent, please contact us so we can take necessary action.

12. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your personal data from accidental loss, unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure . These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS protocols (indicated by the padlock symbol in your browser).
• Secure data storage with access controls restricted to authorized personnel only.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.

However, please remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

13. Third-Party Links

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications, such as links to payment gateways, government educational portals, or partner institution websites . Clicking on those links may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. When we update our policy, we will take appropriate measures to inform you, consistent with the significance of the changes we make . We will obtain your consent to any material Privacy Policy changes if and where this is required by applicable data protection laws.

You can see when this Privacy Policy was last updated by checking the “last updated” date displayed at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy frequently to stay informed of how we are protecting your information.

15. Grievance Redressal Mechanism

In compliance with Rule 3(1)(j) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the provisions of the upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the contact details of the Grievance Officer are provided in Section 2 of this document.

If you have any grievances regarding the handling of your personal data, please write to the Grievance Officer. We assure you that we will investigate and attempt to resolve complaints and disputes regarding use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.