Privacy Policy for Rising Bihar - Student Counselor Platform

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Rising Bihar ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use our Rising Bihar Student Counselor Platform. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal data.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

• Personal Details: Full name, email address, phone number, date of birth, gender
• Profile Data: Profile pictures, bio, address information
• Role Information: Student or counselor designation

2.2 Educational Information

• Academic Background: School name, class/grade, stream/subject, educational board
• Academic Timeline: Start and end dates of education
• Achievements: Academic accomplishments, awards, certificates
• Performance Data: Assessment results, progress tracking

2.3 Personal Development Data

• Strengths & Skills: Personal strengths, skills assessment
• Interests & Hobbies: Personal interests, recreational activities
• Learning Preferences: Preferred learning modes, language preferences
• Career Aspirations: Future goals and career interests

2.4 Family Information

• Parent Details: Father's name, mother's name, guardian information
• Contact Information: Family contact numbers
• Financial Information: Family income for financial counseling
• Emergency Contacts: Guardian contact details

2.5 File Uploads & Documents

• Assessment Submissions: PDF, DOC, DOCX files for assignments
• Profile Pictures: User profile images
• Educational Documents: Certificates, transcripts, portfolios
• Session Materials: Documents shared during counseling sessions

2.6 Session & Communication Data

• Chat Messages: Text communications between students and counselors
• Calendar Events: Appointment scheduling and session management
• Feedback & Reviews: Session feedback and counselor ratings

2.7 Technical Data

• Device Information: Device tokens for push notifications
• Usage Analytics: App usage patterns, feature interactions
• Location Data: Current location for counselor matching (if applicable)

3. How You Sign In

You create an account with your email address and a password. You can sign in with that password, or with a one-time code we email to you.

• Email Verification: We send a code to confirm your email address belongs to you
• Passwords: Stored only as a secure hash; our team can never see your password
• One-time Codes: Each code works once and expires after a short time

We do not sign you in with Google, and we do not access your Google account or calendar. Session invitations and reminders are sent to you by email.

4. How We Use Your Information

4.1 Core Platform Functions

• Account Management: Create and maintain user accounts
• Identity Verification: Verify user identity and contact information
• Student-Counselor Matching: Connect students with appropriate counselors
• Session Scheduling: Manage appointments and calendar integration

4.2 Educational Services

• Personalized Counseling: Provide tailored career and educational guidance
• Progress Tracking: Monitor academic and personal development
• Assessment Management: Administer and evaluate educational assessments
• Resource Provision: Share relevant educational materials and resources

4.3 Communication & Support

• Session Reminders: Send appointment notifications via email and SMS
• Important Updates: Communicate platform updates and announcements
• Support Services: Provide customer support and technical assistance
• Emergency Communications: Contact in case of urgent matters

4.4 Platform Improvement

• Service Enhancement: Improve platform features and user experience
• Analytics & Research: Analyze usage patterns for service improvement
• Quality Assurance: Ensure platform security and prevent fraud
• User Experience: Personalize content and recommendations

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 Between Platform Users

• Student-Counselor Sharing: Basic profile information shared between matched users
• Session Content: Chat messages and session materials shared between participants
• Assessment Results: Educational assessments shared with relevant counselors

5.2 Service Providers

• Google Analytics: Anonymous website usage statistics
• Analytics Services: Usage analysis and platform improvement

5.3 Legal Requirements

• Legal Compliance: When required by law or government authorities
• Safety & Security: To protect user safety and platform security
• Fraud Prevention: To prevent and detect fraudulent activities

6. Data Security & Protection

6.1 Security Measures

• Encryption: Industry-standard encryption for data transmission and storage
• Access Controls: Limited access to authorized personnel only
• Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and updates
• Secure Infrastructure: Protected servers and cloud storage

6.2 Data Handling

• Secure Processing: All data processed through secure channels
• Access Logging: Comprehensive logging of data access and modifications
• Incident Response: Prompt response to security incidents
• User Control: Users have full control over their data

7. Our Commitment to Data Safety and Non-Misuse

We are committed to the highest standards of data protection and ethical data handling. Your trust is paramount to us, and we pledge to:

• Never misuse your data: We will only use your personal information for the purposes explicitly stated in this privacy policy and for providing our counselling services
• Maintain data integrity: All user data is handled with the utmost care and stored securely using industry-standard encryption
• Respect user privacy: We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes
• Ensure data accuracy: We maintain accurate and up-to-date information and allow you to correct any inaccuracies
• Limit data access: Only authorized personnel with legitimate business needs have access to your personal information
• Regular security audits: We conduct regular security assessments and updates to maintain the highest level of data protection
• Transparent practices: We are transparent about our data collection and usage practices
• User control: You have full control over your data and can request deletion or modification at any time

We understand the sensitive nature of counselling relationships and educational data. Rest assured that your personal information, session data, and communications are treated with the highest level of confidentiality and security.

8. Your Rights & Choices

8.1 Data Access & Control

• View Your Data: Access and review your personal information
• Update Information: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Data Portability: Export your data in a portable format
• Account Deletion: Request complete account and data deletion

8.2 Communication Preferences

• Notification Settings: Control session invitation and reminder emails

8.3 Account Security

• Password: Change or reset your password at any time with Forgot password
• Profile Information: Edit what appears on your profile from your account

9. Data Retention

9.1 Retention Periods

• Active Accounts: Data retained while account is active
• Session Data: Retained for counseling relationship duration
• Assessment Data: Kept for educational record purposes
• Communication Logs: Retained for support and quality assurance

10. Children's Privacy

10.1 Age Requirements

• Minimum Age: Users must be at least 13 years old
• Parental Consent: Required for users under 18 years
• Educational Context: Data collection limited to educational purposes
• Special Protections: Enhanced privacy protections for minors

11. Third-Party Services

11.1 Google Services

• Google Analytics: Anonymous statistics about how the website is used
• Google Maps: Showing event locations
• Google Fonts: Loading the fonts used on the website
• No Account Access: We do not sign you in with Google or access your Google account

11.2 Other Services

• Notification Services: Email and SMS delivery providers
• Analytics: Usage analysis and improvement tools
• Support Tools: Customer support and communication platforms

12. Contact Information

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Users will be notified of significant changes through:

• In-app Notifications: Platform notifications about policy updates
• Email Notifications: Direct email communication about changes
• Policy Updates: Updated policy posted on our platform

Continued use of our platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.