Last updated: 2025-08-11

Effective date: 2025-08-11

We collect only the personal information we need to deliver your paid WhatsApp lessons and related services (name, email, phone number, payment details via a payment gateway).

• Your WhatsApp phone number is kept confidential. We will not make your number visible to other community members and will not share it with third parties except as described below (consent, required service providers, or legal obligation).

• We use trusted third-party service providers (for payments, hosting, messaging) who process your information on our behalf under contract and only for permitted purposes.

• You can request access, correction, or deletion of your data. Contact us at hinduismlessons@gmail.com

1. Who we are

Hinduism Lessons (“we”, “us”, “our”, or the “Company”) operates the website www.hinduismlessons.com/bhagavadgita and the related WhatsApp-based learning service (the “Service”). The Company is registered in Maharashtra, India.

2. What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy explains:

• what personal data we collect and why;

• how we use, store, share, and protect your data;

• how we honor your privacy choices; and

• how to contact us about your data.

3. Consent

By providing personal data (for example, joining our WhatsApp subscription and making payment), you consent to the collection and use of your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy. You may withdraw consent at any time (see “Your rights” below), but withdrawal may affect our ability to provide the Service.

4. Data we collect

a) Data you provide directly

• Name (first/last)

• Phone number (WhatsApp number) — used to add you to the subscription community and to send lessons/updates.

• Email address — for account messages, receipts, and communications you request.

• Payment information — we do not store card numbers ourselves; payments are processed by an external payment gateway (Cashfree). We may store transactional metadata (payment ID, amount, date) for billing and refunds.

• Any other information you provide in messages, support requests, or profile fields.

b) Automatically collected data (Usage Data)

When you use the Website, we may collect technical/diagnostic information: IP address, browser type/version, device type, pages visited, referral source, date/time, and similar usage information.

c) Cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to provide and improve our Website. You can control cookie settings via your browser; some features may not work if cookies are disabled.

5. How we use your data (purposes)

We use personal data to:

• Provide and operate the Service (deliver WhatsApp lessons, account management).

• Add and manage your membership in the WhatsApp community you subscribed to.

• Process payments, issue receipts, and manage refunds or disputes.

• Communicate important Service-related messages (changes, security notices).

• Send marketing or promotional communications only if you have opted in. You may opt out at any time.

• Improve and personalize the Service, run analytics, and detect fraud or abuse.

• Comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes.

6. Confidentiality of your WhatsApp number (explicit)

We appreciate that your phone number is sensitive. In addition to the FAQ statement:

• Visibility: We will not disclose your WhatsApp number to other members as part of our internal processes. We take steps to minimize number visibility by using technical methods such as WhatsApp Broadcast lists, the WhatsApp Business API, or individual/direct messaging rather than adding subscribers to public group chats where numbers are visible.

• Sharing: We will not share your WhatsApp number with third parties for marketing or resale, except:

• when you give explicit, separate consent;

• when we use authorized service providers (see Section 7) who need the number solely to deliver the Service and who are bound by contract to protect it; or

• if required by law or a valid court order.

• Limitations: WhatsApp is a third-party platform with its own controls and features. If you are added to a WhatsApp group or community where WhatsApp itself displays participant numbers, that is controlled by WhatsApp’s platform behavior. We will take reasonable technical and procedural steps to avoid exposing your number (by using Broadcasts or other features where possible) but cannot control WhatsApp’s platform policies or user actions outside our configured processes. We will notify you before adding you to any setup where numbers might become visible.

7. Who we share your data with (service providers)

We may share personal data with third parties in limited circumstances:

• Service providers / processors (hosting, messaging platforms, payment gateways, analytics) who process data on our behalf under contract and only for permitted purposes. Examples: WhatsApp/Meta (message delivery), Razorpay (payment processing), cloud hosting, email services. We require these vendors to keep data secure and use it only as instructed.

• Legal & safety: to comply with laws, respond to lawful requests by public authorities, or defend our legal rights.

• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets; we will notify affected users by email or prominent notice if their personal data is transferred.

• With your consent: if you expressly consent to sharing for a specific third-party purpose.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing.

8. Payment processing & financial data

We use a third-party payment processor (e.g., cashfree). When you pay for a subscription:

• Your card or bank details are handled directly by the payment provider and subject to their privacy/security rules.

• We receive transaction confirmations (payment ID, amount, date) and may keep this metadata for accounting and refunds.

• We do not store full card numbers or CVV codes on our servers.

9. Data retention

We keep personal data only as long as necessary to provide the Service, meet legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Typical retention periods:

• Account and transaction data: retained for as long as needed for billing, tax, and accounting (commonly 6–7 years depending on local law).

• WhatsApp membership data: retained while you are a subscriber and for a reasonable period after cancellation to handle refunds, disputes, or reactivation requests (e.g., up to 12 months, unless otherwise required by law).

• Anonymous aggregated data: retained as needed for analytics.

You can request deletion earlier (see “Your rights”).

10. Your rights and choices

Subject to applicable law, you may:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you.

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

• Request deletion (erasure) of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”) — note we may retain some data where legal obligations require us to do so.

• Object to processing or request restriction of processing for specific purposes.

• Request portability of your data in a commonly used format (where technically feasible).

• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time.

To exercise rights, contact: hinduismlessons@gmail.com. We will respond within a reasonable time (typically within 30 days) and may ask for identity verification before fulfilling requests.

11. Security

We take commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data. Measures include encrypted storage, limited access, contractual obligations for service providers, and periodic security reviews. However, no internet transmission or storage system is 100% secure. If a breach occurs that affects your rights, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

12. International transfers

Your information may be processed outside your country of residence (including India) by our service providers. Where transfers occur, we will ensure adequate safeguards (contracts, security measures) to maintain protection consistent with this Policy.

13. Children

Our Service is for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from someone under the minimum age applicable in your jurisdiction without parental consent, we will delete it.

14. Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Website, remember preferences, and analyze usage. You can block or delete cookies via your browser. Some features may not be available if cookies are disabled.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on the Website and update the “Last updated” date. For material changes that affect your rights, we will provide prominent notice and, where required, obtain fresh consent.

16. Complaints and supervisory authority

If you believe we have not handled your data properly, please contact us at hinduismlessons@gmail.com first so we can resolve it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection authority.

17. Contact us

Data protection/contact: hinduismlessons@gmail.com

Mailing address: Hinduism Lessons, S.T. Road, Near Swami Vivekanand School, Lal Donger, Samata Nagar, Chembur H.O., Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 400071

“By subscribing I confirm I am 18+ and agree to Hinduism Lessons’ Privacy Policy (link). I consent to Hinduism Lessons adding my WhatsApp number to its paid WhatsApp community for lesson delivery. I understand my number will not be shared with other community members or third parties for marketing, except as stated in the Privacy Policy.”