SamacharSetu ("we", "our", "us") respects your privacy as a Fundamental Right. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we safeguard it — consistent with our obligations under the Constitution of India and Indian data protection law.
Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
- Automatically collected data: IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time spent, referring URLs, and city/country-level location.
- Voluntarily provided data: Name and email address when you subscribe to our newsletter or contact us.
- Cookies and local storage: Session data, preferences, and anonymous analytics identifiers.
- Third-party data: Aggregated, anonymised data from embedded services (TradingView, Open-Meteo, Google Analytics).
We do not collect Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI) as defined under Rule 3 of the IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011 — including passwords, financial data, health information, biometric data, caste, or religious belief.
- Article 21, Constitution of India — Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right (K.S. Puttaswamy, 2017)
- Section 43A, IT Act, 2000 — Obligation of body corporates to protect SPDI; liability for failure
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 3 — Definition of Sensitive Personal Data or Information
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 5 — Requirement to obtain prior informed written consent before collecting personal data
- Section 4 & 6, DPDPA, 2023 — Personal data must be processed lawfully with free, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent
How We Use Your Information
Information collected is used solely for legitimate journalistic and operational purposes:
- To deliver and improve our news content and website experience
- To send newsletters to subscribers who have explicitly opted in
- To monitor and prevent abusive or fraudulent access
- To analyse aggregate, anonymised traffic patterns
- To respond to enquiries submitted through our contact page
We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes. Data is processed only for the specific purpose for which it was collected (purpose limitation principle).
- Section 5, DPDPA, 2023 — Personal data must be processed only for the specified, lawful purpose
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 5(5) — Data must not be retained longer than necessary
- Section 8(1)(j), RTI Act, 2005 — Personal information whose disclosure invades privacy is exempt from compelled disclosure
- Section 72, IT Act, 2000 — Breach of confidentiality and privacy — imprisonment up to 2 years or fine up to ₹1 lakh
Cookies & Tracking Technologies
SamacharSetu uses cookies and browser localStorage:
- Essential cookies: Required for site functionality (session management).
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics (anonymised, aggregated traffic data).
- Preference storage: Weather data cached locally to reduce external API calls.
- Third-party widgets: TradingView market ticker may set its own independent cookies.
You may disable cookies in your browser or use the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on. Some features may not function correctly with cookies disabled.
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 4 — Bodies corporate must publish a privacy policy disclosing the type of information collected and its purpose
- Section 66, IT Act, 2000 — Unauthorised access to computer systems is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to 3 years
- Section 7, DPDPA, 2023 — Certain processing is permitted without consent for specified legitimate uses
Third-Party Services
Our website integrates third-party services that may independently collect data:
- Google Fonts — Typography assets; Google may log your IP.
- TradingView — Live market data (SENSEX, Gold, Crude Oil).
- Open-Meteo API — Weather forecasts based on approximate geolocation.
- ipapi.co — City-level geolocation for weather personalisation; we store no data from this.
- Google Analytics — Anonymised, aggregated site traffic analysis.
SamacharSetu is not responsible for the independent data practices of these services. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 7 — Transfer of data to third parties permitted only with user consent and where the third party maintains equivalent security standards
- Section 26, DPDPA, 2023 — Obligations of Data Fiduciaries when engaging Data Processors; processors must act only on instructions of the fiduciary
- Section 72A, IT Act, 2000 — Disclosure of information in breach of lawful contract — imprisonment up to 3 years or fine up to ₹5 lakh
Data Security
We maintain reasonable security practices as mandated by Indian law:
- HTTPS/TLS encryption on all pages and data transmissions
- Server-level access controls and role-based permissions
- File-level locking for internal data files (e.g., hit counter)
- No storage of payment or financial information on our servers
- Periodic security review aligned with IS/ISO/IEC 27001 standards
In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify affected users and the Data Protection Board of India as required by applicable law.
- Section 43A, IT Act, 2000 — Bodies corporate must implement "reasonable security practices"; failure triggers civil liability and compensation
- IT (Reasonable Security Practices) Rules, 2011, Rule 8 — IS/ISO/IEC 27001 or DSCI's Security Framework prescribed as standard
- Section 8(5), DPDPA, 2023 — Mandatory notification to the Data Protection Board and affected Data Principals upon a personal data breach
- Section 66C, IT Act, 2000 — Identity theft using electronic records — imprisonment up to 3 years and fine up to ₹1 lakh
- Section 66E, IT Act, 2000 — Violation of privacy by capturing or transmitting private images — imprisonment up to 3 years or fine up to ₹2 lakh
Your Rights as a Data Principal
Under the DPDPA, 2023 and the Constitution of India, you have the following rights:
- Right to access (Section 11, DPDPA): Summary of personal data held and the purposes of processing.
- Right to correction and erasure (Section 12, DPDPA): Correct inaccurate data and request erasure of data no longer required.
- Right to grievance redressal (Section 13, DPDPA): Lodge a complaint with our Grievance Officer; escalate to the Data Protection Board of India if unresolved.
- Right to nominate (Section 14, DPDPA): Nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity.
- Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time; withdrawal does not affect prior lawful processing.
- Right to opt out of newsletters: Unsubscribe at any time via the link in our emails.
To exercise any right, contact our Grievance Officer. We will respond within 30 days.
- Articles 19 & 21, Constitution of India — Rights to freedom of expression and personal liberty underpin all data rights
- Sections 11–14, DPDPA, 2023 — Rights of Data Principal: access, correction, erasure, grievance redressal, and nomination
- IT (SPDI) Rules, 2011, Rule 5(6) — Right to review and correct personal information held by the body corporate
- Section 46, IT Act, 2000 — Adjudicating Officer appointed by Central Government to adjudicate data and privacy disputes
Children's Privacy
Under Section 2(c) of the DPDPA, 2023, a "child" means a person below the age of 18 years. We do not knowingly collect or process personal data of children without verifiable parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact our Grievance Officer immediately and we will delete such data promptly.
- Section 9, DPDPA, 2023 — Mandatory verifiable parental consent before processing personal data of any child under 18
- Section 9(3), DPDPA, 2023 — Prohibition on processing children's data in a manner detrimental to their well-being or that tracks/monitors them
- Article 39(f), Constitution of India (Directive Principle) — The State shall direct its policy towards securing that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner
- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) — Any content harmful to minors is strictly prohibited and criminally punishable
Grievance Officer
In accordance with the IT Act, 2000, IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, and DPDPA, 2023, SamacharSetu has designated a Grievance Officer:
- Designation: Chief Editor, SamacharSetu Media
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: SamacharSetu Media, Patna, Bihar 800020, India
- Acknowledgement: Within 24 hours of receipt
- Resolution: Within 15 days for intermediary matters; 30 days for data protection matters
If your complaint remains unresolved, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India (once operational under DPDPA, 2023), or approach the Adjudicating Officer under Section 46 of the IT Act, 2000.
- IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, Rule 3(2) — Grievance Officer must acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve within 15 days
- Section 13, DPDPA, 2023 — Right of Data Principal to have grievances redressed by the Data Fiduciary
- Section 18, DPDPA, 2023 — Establishment of the Data Protection Board of India for adjudication and appeal
- Section 46, IT Act, 2000 — Adjudicating Officers empowered to adjudicate contraventions and award compensation up to ₹5 crore
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or Indian law (including notifications under the DPDPA, 2023). Significant changes will be announced on our homepage. The "Last Revised" date at the top of this page tracks updates. Continued use of SamacharSetu after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.