Privacy Policy

01Introduction

Viswabharat Skill Institute ("VSI", "we", "our", or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal data of every person who interacts with us — applicants, learners, alumni, hiring and technology partners, donors, and visitors to https://vbskills.org (the "Site").

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have. It is drafted to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDPA"), the Information Technology Act, 2000 read with the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 ("SPDI Rules"), and other applicable Indian laws.

02Scope & applicability

This policy applies to personal data collected through the Site, our admissions and partnership forms, event registrations, our email addresses (including connect@vbskills.org), and any other channel through which VSI directly engages with you.

It does not apply to information collected by third-party services (for example, hiring partners, credentialing bodies, payment gateways, or external platforms linked from the Site), which are governed by their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies separately.

03Information we collect

We collect the minimum amount of personal data we need to fulfil the purposes described below. The categories fall into three broad groups.

A. Information you provide directly

• Identity & contact details: full name, gender, date of birth, email address, mobile number, city, state, postal address.
• Academic details: 10th and 12th marks, undergraduate qualification and specialisation, semester, university/college, backlog status, scores and certifications.
• Program preferences: program applied for, cohort, laptop availability, parental income band, subject knowledge and certifications.
• Partnership details: for hiring, technology or philanthropic enquiries — organisation name, designation, sector, focus area and message content.
• Correspondence: messages, files, attachments and any information you voluntarily share when you write to us.

B. Information collected automatically

• Standard log data (IP address, device type, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time on page, timestamps).
• Cookies and similar technologies — see our Cookie Policy.
• Analytics identifiers used by our first-party analytics tooling.

C. Information from third parties

• Verification and reference checks with universities, colleges or issuing authorities during the admissions or selection process, where you have consented.
• Publicly available professional information (e.g., LinkedIn) relevant to a role you have applied for.

04Lawful basis & consent

We process your personal data on one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Consent — where you have voluntarily provided data through an application, an enquiry, an event registration or a subscription.
• Contractual necessity — where processing is required to admit you to a program, deliver training, or fulfil an agreement with a partner.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law (for example, tax, regulatory or audit obligations).
• Legitimate use — for internal operations, fraud prevention, safety of learners, quality assurance and continuous improvement of our services, where doing so does not override your rights.

You may withdraw consent at any time (see Your rights). Withdrawing consent will not affect processing done before withdrawal, and may limit our ability to provide certain services.

05How we use your information

• To evaluate, process and manage program admissions and cohort enrolments.
• To run joint selection processes with Hiring Partners.
• To deliver training, assessments, certifications and placement support.
• To respond to enquiries about programs, partnerships, donations, media or campus visits.
• To send you communications about programs, events, cohort announcements and important service messages you have opted into.
• To operate, maintain, secure, personalise and improve the Site and our services.
• To conduct research, learning analytics and impact reporting in an aggregated or anonymised form.
• To comply with applicable law, defend legal claims and meet audit or regulatory obligations.

06Sharing & disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We share personal data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards, in the following circumstances:

• Hiring & Knowledge Partners: where you have applied to a program or been shortlisted, relevant information is shared with the associated Hiring or Knowledge Partner for joint selection, training and placement.
• Certification bodies: where a program is certified by NASSCOM Sector Skill Council, VTU or similar bodies, we share the minimum data required to issue certifications.
• Service providers: vetted vendors who process data on our behalf under written contracts — hosting, email delivery, CRM, analytics, campus operations, background verification and payment processing.
• Regulatory & legal authorities: where required by law, court order, or a valid request from a competent authority.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition or reorganisation, with continued protection under this policy or an equivalent one.

07Cross-border transfers

VSI is based in India and processes personal data primarily within India. Where a service provider or partner is located outside India, we transfer data only to jurisdictions permitted under applicable Indian law and with appropriate contractual and technical safeguards. Cross-border transfers are limited to what is necessary to deliver the services described in this policy.

08Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

When retention periods end, we securely delete, anonymise or archive personal data.

09Your rights as a data principal

Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right to access — request a summary of the personal data we hold about you and the processing we do.
• Right to correction and updation — ask us to correct inaccurate or outdated data.
• Right to erasure — request deletion of personal data no longer required for the purposes stated.
• Right to withdraw consent — at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing done before withdrawal.
• Right to nominate — nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity, in accordance with the DPDPA.
• Right to grievance redressal — raise a grievance with our Grievance Officer (see below).

To exercise these rights, write to connect@vbskills.org with your name, the request type and enough detail for us to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

10Security safeguards

We implement reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Measures include:

• Access controls, role-based permissions and audit trails.
• Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and, where appropriate, at rest.
• Vulnerability management and periodic security reviews.
• Confidentiality and data protection training for staff who handle personal data.
• Written data processing agreements with service providers.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11Cookies & tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to make the Site work, to remember your preferences and to understand how the Site is used. Detailed information is in our Cookie Policy. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser at any time.

12Third-party services

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, tools, embedded maps, social media widgets and credentialing platforms. These third parties operate independently and have their own privacy practices. We do not control and are not responsible for the content or practices of third-party sites.

13Children's data

Our programs are designed for adult learners (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18 for admissions. Where any information relates to a child, we will process it only with verifiable parental or guardian consent, in accordance with the DPDPA. If you believe we hold data about a child that we shouldn't, please write to us and we will delete it.

14Breach notification

If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in significant harm, we will notify the Data Protection Board of India and the affected data principals in accordance with applicable law, and take reasonable steps to mitigate the impact.

15Grievance officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, our Grievance Officer can be reached at:

16Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements or other factors. The "Effective from" date at the top of the page indicates when it was last revised. Material changes will be brought to your attention through the Site or through a direct communication where practicable.

17Contact us