privacy policy

Legal

How we collect, use, protect and share your information.

This Privacy Policy, together with our Terms and Conditions, explains how Samarth Trust collects, uses, stores, shares, protects and otherwise processes your Personal Information when you access or use the “I am Samarth” Website or App (web and/or mobile).

This Privacy Policy has been prepared in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”), the rules framed thereunder, and other applicable laws of India. Where applicable, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 shall continue to apply to matters not inconsistent with the DPDP Act or until superseded by applicable law.

We are committed to processing Personal Information lawfully, fairly, transparently and only for specified, legitimate purposes, while implementing reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect such information.

Here in after, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, and “Samarth” refer to Samarth Trust. The term “you” refers to the person visiting or using our website or app. The terms “Website” and “App” mean the “I am Samarth” website, mobile and web application and associated online educational services operated by Samarth Trust. We may collect Personal Information directly through our website or App and, where applicable, through offline enrolment forms, educational programmes, competitions or other activities organized by Samarth Trust. This Privacy Policy applies to current (and) as well as former visitors to our website, or app, and/or our online customers. By visiting the Website and using our App, you agree (to) with this Privacy Policy. Samarth Trust is registered under Registration Act 1908 Sec 32 – A in Gorakhpur having its registered office at Rajendra Nagar (East), Near Bhagwati Chowk, Lachchipur Gorakhnath Road, Gorakhpur – 273015.

In the event of any inconsistency between this Privacy Policy and the Terms & Conditions relating to the processing of Personal Information, the provisions of this Privacy Policy shall prevail to the extent of such inconsistency, except where a specific contractual obligation expressly provides otherwise and is permitted under applicable law.

Definitions

“Personal Information/Data” means any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data.
“Sensitive Personal Data or Information” means such categories of information as may be recognized under applicable Indian law, including, where relevant, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011. References to Sensitive Personal Data in this Policy shall be interpreted consistently with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and other applicable laws.
“Data Principal” means the individual to whom the Personal Information relates, and where such individual is a child, includes the parent or lawful guardian of such child.
“Processing” means any operation performed on Personal Information, including collection, recording, storage, adaptation, retrieval, use, disclosure or erasure.
“Consent Manager” means a person registered with the Data Protection Board of India who acts as a single point of contact to enable a Data Principal to give, manage, review or withdraw consent, where applicable.

Note – I am Samarth is an app – web and mobile app, and is a property of Samarth Trust.

A. Information we collect

We may collect your name, email address, mobile number, telephone number, postal address, city, State, PIN Code, country, IP address and such other information as is necessary for providing our educational services.

We may collect your billing name, billing address and payment information when you purchase a course, educational programme, subscription, assessment, competition or any other educational service offered through the Website or App. Payment card information is collected and processed directly by our authorised payment gateway provider, and Samarth Trust does not store complete payment card details on its systems. We collect information directly from you when you create an account, enroll in our educational programmes, participate in quizzes, assessments, competitions or learning activities, contact us for support, submit assignments, or otherwise use our Website or App. We never collect your credit card number or expiry date, or other details pertaining to your credit card on our Website. Credit card information will be obtained and processed by our online payment partner CC Avenue.

Where required by applicable law or for a specific government-sponsored programme, scholarship, examination or identity verification process, we may collect government-issued identity documents strictly to the extent necessary for identity verification or compliance with applicable law strictly to the extent necessary for the relevant purpose and only were authorised under applicable law. Such information will not be collected where it is unnecessary for providing our educational services.

Where collection of Aadhaar information is specifically required or authorised under applicable law or by a competent Government authority for a particular programme or service, We may collect and process Aadhaar information solely for that limited purpose and in accordance with applicable law. Aadhaar information shall not be collected for routine account registration, participation in competitions, educational activities or general access to the Website or App.

B. Cookies and Other Web Technologies: Information We Collect Automatically (Cookies and Similar Technologies)

We use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, local storage and device identifiers) to improve the functionality, security and performance of the Website and App.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device that enable us to recognize your browser or device and remember certain information.

We may use the following categories of cookies:

(a) Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of the Website or App, including user authentication, account security, session management, fraud prevention and other core functionality. These cookies cannot ordinarily be disabled without affecting the operation of the services.

(b) Functional Cookies

These cookies remember your preferences, such as language settings, accessibility preferences and other user choices, to provide a more personalised experience.

(c) Analytics and Performance Cookies

These cookies help us understand how users interact with the Website or App by collecting aggregated information regarding usage, navigation, page performance and technical errors. We use this information to improve our educational services.

(d) Optional Cookies

Where we introduce any optional cookies in the future that are not strictly necessary for providing our services, such cookies will only be used after obtaining consent where required under applicable law.

C. Information You Voluntarily Provide or Post

We collect the information that you voluntarily provide while using our website or App, including when you:

register an account;
enroll in courses or programmes;
participate in quizzes, competitions or events;
submit assignments or feedback;
post comments or other content in public or interactive areas;
contact us through email, telephone or customer support.

Any information you voluntarily post in public sections of the Website or on our official social media pages may be visible to other users. Please exercise caution before posting personal information in publicly accessible areas.

D.Other Information We Collect

In addition to the information described above, we may collect:

Demographic Information

Information such as your age group, educational status, interests, preferred subjects, participation in events, and survey responses.

Device and Technical Information

Information relating to your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, mobile network information, and diagnostic data.

Usage Information

Information regarding your interaction with our website or App, including pages viewed, features accessed, time spent, clickstream data, search queries, and navigation patterns.

Information Received from Third Parties

Where you choose to sign in or interact through third-party services (such as Google or social media platforms), we may receive certain information from those services in accordance with your privacy settings and their respective privacy policies.

Security Information

We maintain administrative, technical, organizational and physical safeguards to protect Personal Information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Access to Personal Information is restricted only to authorised personnel who require such access for legitimate business purposes.

E. Use of your personal information

We use information about you for the following general purposes: to provide you with the services you request.
We use the information to contact you: We might use the information you provide to confirm a purchase on our website or for other promotional purposes.
We may use your information to confirm your registration for courses, quizzes, assessments, competitions, educational programmes and other learning activities available through our website or App.
We use the information to improve our products and services. We might use your information to customize your experience with us. This could include displaying content based on your preferences.

We use the information to look at site trends and customer interests. We may use your information to make our website and products better. We may combine information we get from you with information about you we get from third parties.

We use the information for security purposes. We may use the information to protect our company, customers, or websites.
Communications

We use Personal Information to send service-related communications, including account verification, login alerts, password reset instructions, examination schedules, quiz notifications, progress reports, certificates, payment confirmations, technical support responses and other communications necessary to provide our educational services.

Promotional or marketing communications shall be sent only to adult users were permitted under applicable law and only where required consent has been obtained. Adult users may opt out of such communications at any time.

We do not undertake tracking, profiling or behavioral monitoring of children for advertising or marketing purposes. Where webcam monitoring, screen recording or other proctoring measures is reasonably necessary to conduct online examinations, competitions, assessments, prevent fraud, maintain examination integrity or ensure platform security, such processing shall be limited to those purposes, shall be proportionate, and shall not be used for advertising, profiling or any commercial marketing activity. We do not share, sell, rent or lease sensitive, confidential and personal information to third parties, unless explicitly disclosed below.

F. Sharing of information with third parties

We do not sell, rent, lease or otherwise commercially exploit your Personal Information.

We may disclose Personal Information only where reasonably necessary for the following purposes:

Service Providers

We may share Personal Information with carefully selected service providers who assist us in operating the Website and App, including:

cloud hosting providers;
payment gateway providers;
identity verification providers;
customer support providers;
communication service providers;
learning management system providers;
cybersecurity and fraud prevention providers; and
technology vendors supporting our educational services.

All such service providers are contractually bound to:

process Personal Information only on our documented instructions;
maintain appropriate technical and organizational safeguards;
maintain confidentiality; and
comply with applicable data protection laws.

Legal Compliance

We may disclose Personal Information where required:

by law;
by a court;
by a competent governmental authority;
to comply with legal obligations;
to investigate fraud or security incidents; or
to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

2. Business Reorganization

In the event of any merger, amalgamation, acquisition, restructuring or transfer of substantially all of the assets of Samarth Trust, Personal Information may be transferred to the successor entity only where such transfer is necessary for the continued provision of the educational services or competitions to which the Data Principal has subscribed, and subject to compliance with applicable law, this Privacy Policy and any consent requirements under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

The successor entity shall be bound to honor the commitments contained in this Privacy Policy.

3. Aggregated Information

We may publish or disclose aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably identify any individual.

4. No Other Sharing

Except as expressly described in this Privacy Policy or where required by law, we will not disclose Personal Information to advertisers, marketing partners, data brokers or other unrelated third parties.

G. Email Opt-Out

Adult users who have subscribed to receive promotional communications may opt out of marketing emails at any time by contacting us at info@iamsamarth.com or by using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in such communications. Processing of opt-out requests may take up to seven (7) business days.

Children are not sent marketing communications, newsletters, targeted advertisements or promotional emails.

Irrespective of marketing preferences, We may continue to send all users service-related or transactional communications that are necessary for the operation of their accounts, provision of educational services, security notifications and compliance with legal obligations.

2. If you click on one of the links to third party websites, you may be taken to websites we do not control. This Policy does not apply to the privacy practices of those websites. Read the privacy policy of other websites carefully. We are not responsible for these third-party sites.

3. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, applicable rules thereunder and, where relevant, the Information Technology Act, 2000, the following person has been designated as the Grievance Officer to address complaints and requests relating to Personal Information processed under this Policy:
General Secretary, Address: Samarth Bhavan, Behind Santosh Hotel, Pathardi Phata, Nashik, Maharashtra 422010, India Email: grivance@samarthtrust.in

4. If you have any questions about this Policy or other privacy concerns, you can also email us at info@iamsamarth.com

H. Access to, Correction and Erasure of Personal Information

Subject to applicable law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to request access to the Personal Information that We process about you and to request correction, completion, updating or erasure of such Personal Information where it is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or where you are otherwise entitled to such erasure under applicable law.
Where certain account information can be updated directly through your account settings within the Website or App, you may update such information yourself. For all other requests relating to access, correction, completion, updating or erasure of your Personal Information, you may submit a written request to our Grievance Officer or contact us at info@iamsamarth.com.
We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity, or, where the request relates to a child, the identity and authority of the parent or lawful guardian, before processing any request to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access or modification.
We will consider and respond to such requests within the time prescribed under applicable law. Where a request cannot be complied with due to a legal obligation, regulatory requirement, pending investigation, or any other lawful exception, We will inform you of the reasons to the extent permitted by law.

I. Updates to this Policy

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 29^th Jul 2026. From time to time, we may change our privacy practices. We will notify you of any material changes to this Policy as required by law. We will also post an updated copy on our website. Please check our site periodically for updates.
Samarth reserves the right at any time, at our sole discretion, to change/amend this Privacy Policy, and any changes/amendments will become operative on the day they are posted. We suggest you frequently evaluate this Privacy policy for any changes. We will inform you about any material changes to this Privacy Policy.

J. Jurisdiction

If you choose to visit the Website, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this Policy and the Website’s terms of use. In addition to the foregoing, any disputes arising under this Policy shall be governed by the laws of India within the territorial jurisdiction of Courts at Nashik, Maharashtra.

K. Children’s Privacy and Data of Minors

Since I am Samarth is primarily intended for students, We are committed to protecting the privacy of children in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and applicable Rules. Where the Data Principal is a child (a person below 18 years of age), We shall process the child’s Personal Information only after obtaining the verifiable consent of the child’s parent or lawful guardian.

We verify parental or guardian consent through one or more appropriate verification mechanisms, depending upon the nature of the service and applicable legal requirements. Such mechanisms may include:

(i) One-Time Password (OTP) verification sent to the parent’s or lawful guardian’s registered mobile number or email address;

(ii) verification through a government-authorised digital identity or authentication service (where available and legally permissible);

(iii) verification of the parent or lawful guardian through documentary evidence or other reasonable verification procedures; or

(iv) any other method recognised under applicable law or prescribed by the Central Government from time to time.

No child’s account requiring parental consent will be activated until such verification has been successfully completed.

Parental Acceptance and Authority

Where parental or guardian consent is required under applicable law, the parent or lawful guardian shall provide such consent on behalf of the child and confirms that he or she has the legal authority to act for and represent the child in relation to the processing of the child’s Personal Information.

By providing such verifiable consent, the parent or lawful guardian acknowledges that he or she has read, understood and accepted the applicable Terms & Conditions and this Privacy Policy on behalf of the child, to the extent that they relate to the child’s use of the Website or App and the processing of the child’s Personal Information.

The parent or lawful guardian further undertakes to ensure that the information provided during registration is true, complete and accurate and to promptly notify Samarth Trust of any change affecting such authority or the child’s Personal Information.

Continuing Responsibility of Parent or Guardian

The parent or lawful guardian shall remain responsible for supervising the child’s use of the Website or App and for ensuring continued compliance with the applicable Terms & Conditions. Where consent is withdrawn, or where the parent or lawful guardian no longer has authority to act on behalf of the child, Samarth Trust may suspend or terminate the child’s account to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law.

Use of Children’s Photographs, Videos and Recordings

Photographs, audio recordings, video recordings or other visual representations of a child collected during educational activities, assessments, competitions or events shall primarily be used only for educational, administrative, security, examination integrity and lawful institutional purposes.
Samarth Trust shall not use a child’s photograph, video, audio recording, name or other identifying information for advertising, publicity, promotional campaigns, testimonials, social media marketing or any other commercial or marketing purpose unless separate, prior and verifiable consent has been obtained from the child’s parent or lawful guardian for that specific purpose.
Refusal to grant such consent shall not affect the child’s admission, participation, access to educational services or eligibility for any programmes offered by Samarth Trust.
Parents or lawful guardians may withdraw such consent at any time for future use by contacting Samarth Trust through the contact details provided in the Privacy Policy. Such withdrawal shall not affect any lawful use made before receipt of the withdrawal request.

L. Data Retention

We retain your Personal Information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services, and thereafter for such additional period as may be required to comply with our legal, regulatory, accounting or reporting obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.
Once the purpose for which the Personal Information was collected has been served and no legal or regulatory requirement mandates its continued storage, we will delete or anonymize such Personal Information in accordance with our data retention practices.
Retention of Webcam Images, Video Recordings and Proctoring Data

Where webcam images, video recordings, screen recordings, photographs, audio recordings or other proctoring-related data are collected solely for the purpose of conducting online examinations, assessments or maintaining examination integrity, such data shall be retained only for the minimum period reasonably necessary to:

(a) complete evaluation of the examination or assessment;

(b) investigate suspected malpractice, misconduct or technical issues; and

Unless a longer retention period is required due to a pending grievance, disciplinary proceeding, investigation, court order or statutory obligation, such proctoring data shall ordinarily be permanently deleted or irreversibly anonymized within ninety (90) days from the date of declaration of results.

Access to such recordings shall be restricted to authorised personnel who require access solely for the purposes stated above and shall not be used for advertising, profiling, analytics unrelated to examination integrity or any other secondary purpose.

M. Your Rights as a Data Principal

Subject to applicable law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to: (i) obtain a summary of the Personal Information We process about you and the processing activities undertaken; (ii) seek correction, completion, updating and erasure of your Personal Information; (iii) have readily available means of grievance redressal; and (iv) nominate another individual to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity.
You may exercise the above rights by writing to Us at the contact details provided in this Policy or, where applicable, through a registered Consent Manager. We will respond to such requests within the time frame prescribed under applicable law.
These rights are subject to applicable exceptions under law, including where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

N. Cross-Border Transfer of Information

(a) Your Personal Information may be stored, processed and transferred to servers and third parties located outside India, including our vendors and service providers, for the purposes described in this Policy.

(b) Where such cross-border transfer takes place, We will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient provides a level of protection to your Personal Information that is consistent with this Policy and applicable law, except where the Central Government has restricted transfer to a particular country or territory.

(c ) We do not sell, rent, lease or otherwise commercially exploit your Personal Information. We disclose Personal Information only where necessary to provide and administer our educational services and competitions, where required by law, or where you or, in the case of a child, the parent or lawful guardian, has provided valid consent, in each case as described below.

O. Data Security and Breach Notification

In the event of any unauthorised access, use, disclosure or breach of your Personal Information that We become aware of, we will take prompt steps to contain and investigate the incident, and will notify the Data Protection Board of India and affected users as required under applicable law.
While We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect your Personal Information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and We cannot guarantee absolute security.

P. Withdrawal of Consent

Where We process your Personal Information on the basis of your consent, you have the right to withdraw such consent at any time, with the same ease with which it was given, by writing to Us at the contact details provided in this Policy.
The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to such withdrawal, and We may continue to retain or process certain Personal Information where required to comply with our legal obligations.

P. Data Protection Officer (if designated), Grievance Officer and Consent ManagerWithdrawal of Consent

In accordance with applicable law, apart from the Grievance Officer, we may designate a Data Protection Officer or, where applicable, interact with a registered Consent Manager to address your queries regarding the processing of your Personal Information. Details of the Data Protection Officer, where designated, will be published on our website/application.
You may also reach out to us at info@iamsamarth.com for any queries relating to the processing of your Personal Information.