Privacy Policy

PANCHMITRA FOUNDATION (hereinafter referred to as “Panchmitra Foundation,” “the Foundation,” "we", "us", "our", "the Foundation") is a company registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, having its registered office at Plot no. 591 TP. 3, Turiya vad, Anjar, Kachchh, Gujarat, India, 370110.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information obtained from visitors and users of our website https://panchmitra.com/ ("Website") and applies to all donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and other users of the Website.

This Policy is published in compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and, to the extent applicable, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

1.1 Personal Information

We may collect personal information voluntarily provided by you through contact forms, donation forms, newsletter subscriptions, volunteer registration forms, or other interactions with the Website, including:

• Full name;
• Email address;
• Mobile or telephone number;
• Postal or correspondence address; and
• Other information voluntarily provided by you.

1.2 Payment and Transaction Information

When you donate through the Website, payment and transaction information may be processed entirely by Razorpay, our Payment gateway.

We do not store your card details, UPI credentials, net-banking credentials, passwords, or other sensitive payment credentials on our servers. Such information is processed directly by the payment gateway in accordance with its applicable terms and privacy practices.

1.3 Technical and Usage Information

We may automatically collect certain non-personal information when you access or use the Website, including:

• Browser type and version;
• Device type;
• Internet Protocol (IP) address;
• Pages visited;
• Date and time of access;
• Website usage information; and
• Other technical information collected through cookies, analytics tools, or similar technologies.

Further information regarding cookies may be provided in our applicable Cookie Policy.

1.4 Information Submitted by You

We may also collect information that you voluntarily provide through:

• Emails;
• Feedback forms;
• Enquiry forms;
• Grievance submissions;
• Volunteer applications; or
• Other communications with the Foundation.

2. How We Use Information

We may use the information collected from you for the following purposes:

• To process, verify, and acknowledge donations;
• To issue donation receipts and 80G certificates, wherever applicable;
• To communicate with donors, volunteers, subscribers, and other users regarding our programmes, initiatives, events, and activities;
• To provide updates, newsletters, programme information, and impact reports to individuals who have opted to receive such communications;
• To respond to enquiries, requests, feedback, complaints, and grievances;
• To evaluate and process volunteer applications;
• To comply with applicable statutory, legal, accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements, including obligations under the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (“FCRA”), wherever applicable;
• To maintain appropriate records and documentation;
• To protect the security and integrity of the Website;
• To identify and prevent unauthorised access, misuse, fraud, or other security risks; and
• To improve the functionality, performance, security, and overall user experience of the Website.

3. Disclosure of Information

We respect the privacy of your personal information and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We may disclose or share information only where reasonably necessary and, where applicable, subject to appropriate confidentiality and security obligations, including with:

3.1 Payment Gateway Providers

Information may be shared with our payment gateway i.e. Razorpay, solely for the purpose of processing and completing donations and related transactions securely.

3.2 Government and Statutory Authorities

Information may be disclosed to government departments, statutory authorities, auditors, regulators, law-enforcement agencies, or other authorised bodies where such disclosure is required or permitted under applicable law.

3.3 Service Providers

We may engage third-party service providers for services such as website hosting, email communication, information technology support, analytics, and related technical services. Such service providers may have access to information only to the extent reasonably necessary to provide the relevant services and are expected to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security.

4. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, loss, or destruction.

These measures may include secure servers, access restrictions, appropriate technical safeguards, and other reasonable security practices.

However, no method of transmission or storage over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, while we take reasonable measures to protect your information, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or through the Website.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Fulfil the purposes for which it was collected;
• Provide our services and fulfil our obligations;
• Maintain appropriate records;
• Resolve disputes or grievances; or
• Comply with applicable legal, statutory, accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements.

Where applicable, information may be retained for the periods prescribed or reasonably required under the Companies Act, 2013, Income Tax Act, 1961, FCRA, and other applicable laws and regulations.

Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Policy, or as required to comply with statutory record-keeping obligations under the Companies Act, 2013, Income Tax Act, 1961, and FCRA (as applicable).

6. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law and any limitations prescribed therein, you may contact us to request:

• Access to personal information held by us;
• Correction or updating of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
• Deletion of personal information, where legally permissible;
• Withdrawal of consent for receiving non-essential communications; or
• Other assistance concerning the handling of your personal information.

Requests may be submitted by writing to info@panchmitra.com.

We will endeavour to respond to such requests within a reasonable period and, in any event, within 30 days, subject to the nature of the request and applicable legal requirements.

7. Children's Privacy

Where the Website features beneficiaries who are minors, including their photographs, stories, or other information, such content will be published only with the informed consent of their parents or legal guardians or otherwise in accordance with the Foundation’s applicable Child Protection Policy.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from minors without appropriate parental or guardian consent, except where permitted by applicable law.

8. Third-Party Links

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, social media pages, payment gateways, or other external services.

Such third-party websites and services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. Panchmitra Foundation does not control and is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of such external websites or services.

We encourage users to review the privacy policies and terms applicable to any third-party website before providing personal information or using such services.

9. Changes to this Policy

We reserve the right to modify, update, or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, applicable laws, or regulatory requirements.

Any material changes will be published on this page along with a revised “Effective Date.”

We encourage users to periodically review this Policy to remain informed about how we handle personal information.

10. Grievance Officer

In accordance with applicable law, the designated contact for privacy-related concerns and grievances is:

Grievance Officer

Email: info@panchmitra.com

Mobile: 9638622144

You may contact the Grievance Officer for any questions, concerns, requests, or grievances relating to the collection, use, processing, or protection of your personal information.