Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through chhatrabandhu.com, our enquiry forms, telephone calls, WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, email, social-media interactions, counselling sessions and related education-guidance services.

“ChhatraBandhu Academy”, “we”, “us” or “our” refers to the private education and career-guidance organisation operating from Near Bidyarthi Bhaban Boys School, Parbirhata, Burdwan, West Bengal – 713103. We are not a government authority, university or statutory regulator.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide

• Name, age or date of birth, gender, phone number, email address and postal address.
• Academic details such as current qualification, marks, subjects, entrance scores, preferred courses, career interests, budget and location preferences.
• Parent or guardian details where relevant, particularly for students under 18.
• Enquiry messages, counselling notes, call or chat history, feedback and support requests.
• Application-related documents you choose to provide, such as photographs, identity or address proof, academic records, certificates and category or eligibility documents.
• Payment, invoice and transaction references for any paid service. Card, UPI or banking credentials are generally processed by authorised payment providers and should not be sent to us through ordinary chat or email.

Information collected automatically

• IP address, browser and device type, referring page, pages visited, approximate location, time spent and interaction data.
• Cookies, logs and similar technologies used for security, essential website operation and permitted measurement.

Please provide only information that is accurate, relevant and necessary for your enquiry. If you provide another person’s information, you must have authority to do so.

3. How we use information

We may use information to:

• Respond to enquiries and arrange counselling with students or parents.
• Understand academic background, interests, financial considerations and career goals.
• Suggest potentially suitable courses, colleges, universities, scholarships or admission pathways.
• Assist with applications, document checks, deadlines and admission-related coordination requested by you.
• Send important updates about counselling, applications, exams, admission schedules or services.
• Process payments, issue records, prevent fraud and maintain accounts.
• Improve website usability, service quality, internal training and communication.
• Protect our systems, investigate misuse and comply with lawful requests or legal obligations.

4. Communication consent

When you voluntarily submit your contact information, request counselling, tick a consent box, call us, message us or otherwise ask us to contact you, you authorise ChhatraBandhu Academy to communicate with you about your enquiry and relevant services through phone calls, SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, email and other available communication channels.

By sharing your name, email address, phone number or other contact information, you authorise ChhatraBandhu Academy to contact you through Phone, SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, Email and other communication channels for counselling, admission support, service updates and relevant offers. This authorisation applies notwithstanding any NDNC/DND registration, only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

This consent is purpose-specific and does not remove any right that cannot legally be waived. We will follow applicable communication, consent, sender-registration, template and opt-out requirements. You may withdraw consent for promotional communication at any time by replying “STOP” where available or contacting us. Essential service, transaction, security or legally required messages may still be sent when necessary.

5. How we share information

We do not sell personal information. We may share only what is reasonably necessary with:

• Colleges, universities, training institutes, application portals or education partners selected by you or relevant to an application you ask us to support.
• Technology, website, hosting, cloud, analytics, CRM, communication, payment and document-processing providers working for us under appropriate obligations.
• Professional advisers, auditors or insurers where legitimately required.
• Government bodies, regulators, law-enforcement agencies or courts when disclosure is legally required or reasonably necessary to protect rights and safety.
• A successor organisation in a lawful merger, restructuring or transfer, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Institutions and third-party platforms may process your information under their own policies. Review those policies before submitting an application or making a payment.

6. Cookies and analytics

Our website may use essential cookies for navigation, security and remembering basic preferences. We may also use analytics or advertising technologies, where enabled and permitted, to understand traffic and improve communication.

You can control cookies through your browser. Blocking some cookies may affect website functionality. Third-party services may set their own cookies according to their policies.

7. Retention and security

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the stated purposes, active enquiries or services, record-keeping, dispute resolution, fraud prevention and legal or regulatory requirements. Retention periods vary according to the type of record and relationship.

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards. However, no website, email, messaging platform or storage system is completely secure. Do not send passwords, OTPs, card PINs or other unnecessary sensitive credentials to us.

When information is no longer required, we may delete, anonymise or securely archive it as appropriate.

8. Students under 18

Our services may be relevant to school students. If you are under 18, please use the website and share personal information only with the involvement and consent of a parent or lawful guardian. We may ask for parent or guardian confirmation before collecting documents, processing payments or providing certain services.

Parents or guardians may contact us to review, correct or request deletion of a minor’s information, subject to legal and operational requirements.

9. Your choices and rights

Subject to applicable law and reasonable identity verification, you may ask us to:

• Confirm whether we hold personal information about you.
• Provide a summary or copy of relevant information.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Delete information that is no longer necessary or withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Stop promotional messages or update communication preferences.
• Explain or review how an enquiry or complaint was handled.

Some information may be retained when required for legal duties, fraud prevention, accounting, disputes or the establishment and defence of legal claims. To protect privacy, we may request proof of identity and authority.

10. Third-party websites and services

Our website may link to universities, colleges, regulators, scholarship portals, payment providers, social networks, map services or other third parties. We do not control their content, security or privacy practices. A link or mention does not automatically mean endorsement. Review the official source and the third party’s policy before sharing information or paying fees.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our services, technology or legal obligations change. The revised version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Material changes may also be communicated through the website or an appropriate contact channel.

12. Contact us

For a privacy request, consent withdrawal, correction, deletion request or complaint, contact us with enough detail to identify the relevant enquiry. Please do not send sensitive documents unless requested through an appropriate channel.