Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

ScholarVault is operated by Shyam Sundar R, an independent founder based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. References to "ScholarVault", "we", "us", or "our" in this document refer to the ScholarVault platform and its founder.

Contact: [email protected]

2. What Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Email address (when creating a Gold or Institution account)
• Institution name and designation (Institution Plan only)
• Payment information (processed by third-party payment provider — we do not store card details)
• Conference URLs you submit for auditing
• Vault saves, notes, and preferences you store in your account

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and device type
• Pages visited and features used within ScholarVault
• Audit query history (URLs submitted)
• Session duration and usage patterns

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect your full name unless you choose to provide it
• We do not collect passport, Aadhaar, or national ID information
• We do not track your activity on third-party websites

3. How We Use Your Information

Purpose	Legal Basis
Delivering audit results and platform features	Contract performance
Processing payments for Gold/Institution plans	Contract performance
Sending CFP deadline alerts and threat notifications	Consent (you opt in)
Improving audit accuracy and threat database	Legitimate interest
Sending product updates and announcements	Consent (you opt in)
Responding to support queries	Contract performance
Legal compliance and fraud prevention	Legal obligation

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data only with:

• Payment processors (CCAvenue, Razorpay, or equivalent) to process subscriptions
• Cloud infrastructure providers for hosting and data storage
• Legal authorities when required by law or to protect rights

All third-party processors are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the specified purpose.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Audit query logs are retained for 24 months for platform improvement. Payment records are retained as required by Indian tax law (typically 7 years). You may request deletion of personal data at any time — see Section 7.

6. Cookies

ScholarVault uses essential session cookies to keep you logged in and remember preferences. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels. You can disable cookies in your browser but this may affect platform functionality.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. To exercise any right, email [email protected] with subject line "Data Request — [Your Email]". We will respond within 14 working days.

8. Security

We use industry-standard encryption (HTTPS/TLS) for all data in transit. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Payment data is handled entirely by our payment processor and never touches our servers.

9. Children

ScholarVault is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Significant changes will be notified via email to registered users. Continued use of ScholarVault after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.