| Effective Date | Jurisdiction | Governing Laws |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Republic of India | DPDP Act 2023 | IT Act 2000 | Indian Contract Act 1872 |
Apna Saathi was built by IIT Kharagpur students to help JEE Advanced qualifiers navigate JoSAA counselling. This Privacy Policy governs how we collect, use, store, and protect your data.
Welcome to Apna Saathi ("we", "us", "our", or "Company"), a student success platform developed and operated by a founding team of IIT Kharagpur students, India. We are deeply committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, and personal data of every user who accesses or interacts with our Platform.
This Privacy Policy ('Policy') is a comprehensive, legally binding document that governs all aspects of how we collect, use, store, share, process, and protect personal data when you access our website, mobile-responsive platform, AI counselling chatbot ('Saathi'), or any associated services (collectively referred to as the 'Platform' or 'Services').
Apna Saathi is currently operating as an unincorporated student venture founded at IIT Kharagpur, India, pending formal business registration. The founding team members are individually and jointly responsible for all obligations under this Policy.
By accessing, registering on, or using any part of the Apna Saathi Platform, you consent to the collection, use, processing, storage, and disclosure of your personal data strictly for the purposes described in this Policy and for no other purpose. Consent is obtained per purpose as described in Section 6. If you do not agree with any provision of this Policy, you should discontinue use of the Platform and may contact us to request deletion of your account.
This Policy is published in compliance with and governed by the following applicable laws of India:
For the purposes of this Policy, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned below:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Personal Data | Any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data, whether directly or indirectly — including through a combination of data points such as rank, category, and home state together — including name, identification number, location data, or any online identifier. |
| Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI) | As defined under the DPDP Act 2023 and additionally as per SPDI Rules 2011 to the extent applicable — including financial information, biometric data, government-issued identification, passwords, and medical records. |
| Data Principal | The individual user ("you") to whom the personal data relates and who is using the Platform. |
| Data Fiduciary | Apna Saathi, as the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data (i.e., the entity responsible for your data). |
| Processing | Any operation performed on personal data including collection, recording, storage, use, disclosure, sharing, profiling, dissemination, erasure, or destruction. |
| Consent | Free, specific, informed, verifiable, and unambiguous consent given by the Data Principal through a clear affirmative action. |
| Platform | The Apna Saathi website, mobile-responsive interface, AI chatbot (Saathi), human mentor network, dashboard features, notification systems, and all associated services. Any upgrade or new feature introduced shall automatically form part of the Platform. |
| User | Any individual who registers on or uses any feature or service available on the Platform. |
| Child / Minor | Any individual below the age of eighteen (18) years. |
| Grievance Officer | The specific founding team member designated to receive and resolve formal complaints from users regarding data processing and platform use. |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) | The founding team member responsible for overseeing data protection compliance and breach response activities. |
We collect information through the following categories, strictly limited to what is necessary to deliver our services and for no other purpose. Where the User is a minor, data collection is subject to additional safeguards as described in Section 12.
3.1 Personal Identification Information
3.2 Academic and Counselling Information
The following academic data is collected solely to power counselling features including the My Chances dashboard, Preference List Builder, and JoSAA guidance — and for no other purpose:
3.3 Payment Information
Payment is processed exclusively through Razorpay Software Private Limited, an independent third-party payment gateway. Razorpay is not a member, partner, affiliate, or subsidiary of Apna Saathi. We do not store, retain, or have access to your full credit or debit card numbers, CVV codes, UPI PINs, net banking credentials, or any other sensitive payment instrument information. We retain only transaction IDs, payment status indicators, invoice amounts, and timestamps strictly for accounting and compliance purposes. Access to retained payment records is restricted to authorised founding team members for accounting and compliance purposes only.
3.4 Location Data
3.5 Communication and Interaction Data
3.6 Information from Third Parties
We collect information through the following mechanisms:
We process your personal data only for specified, lawful, and legitimate purposes with your prior consent, and for no purpose beyond what is stated below:
5.1 Service Delivery
5.2 Payment Processing
5.3 Verification and Security
5.4 Communication and Support
5.5 Personalisation and Platform Improvement
5.6 Legal and Regulatory Compliance
5.7 Marketing Communications (Opt-In Only)
Marketing consent is collected at the time of registration through a dedicated opt-in checkbox, separate from the Terms and Conditions acceptance. This checkbox is entirely optional and does not affect your ability to use the Platform. You may opt out of all marketing communications at any time through your account settings or by contacting support@apnasaathi.in.
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we process your personal data on the following lawful bases:
| Legal Basis | Application |
|---|---|
| Explicit Consent (Primary Basis) | You provide consent at registration through a clear affirmative action (mandatory checkbox). Marketing communications require a separate dedicated opt-in checkbox as described in Section 5.7. You may withdraw consent at any time as described below. |
| Contractual Necessity | Processing is necessary to deliver both free and paid Platform services that the User has accessed or subscribed to. |
| Legitimate Uses | Compliance with applicable Indian laws, responding to court orders, government directions, and enforcement of the Company's legal rights. |
You have an absolute right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing conducted prior to withdrawal. However, withdrawal may result in the limitation, suspension, or termination of Services for which the withdrawn data was essential. To withdraw consent, visit your account settings or contact privacy@apnasaathi.in as described in Section 11.
The Company reserves the right to suspend or terminate any user account at any time, without prior notice and without requiring user consent, where the Company determines — at its sole discretion — that continued access may cause harm arising from AI system errors, human mentor errors, technical malfunctions, suspected misuse, legal requirements, or any other reason. The Company's decision on such matters is final.
We share your information only in the following limited, controlled, and necessary circumstances:
7.1 Service Providers and Processors
| Service Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Razorpay Software Pvt. Ltd. | Payment processing (independent third-party gateway) | Transaction data only — no card credentials retained by us |
| Google Workspace / Google Drive | Data storage and team operations | User data stored in password-protected files accessible only to founding team members |
| WhatsApp Business API Provider | Deadline alert notifications | Mobile number and notification content |
| Email Service Providers | Transactional and service emails | Email address and message content |
| Third-party AI Service Provider | Powering Saathi chatbot responses | Conversation data processed under the provider's own policies. Provider identity available on request at privacy@apnasaathi.in |
| Analytics Providers (e.g., Google Analytics) | Aggregated usage analysis | Anonymised behavioural data only. IP addresses are masked before transmission. Configured to prevent collection of personally identifiable information. |
7.2 Human Mentor Network
When you book a human mentor session, we share your name, rank, category classification, and stated query with the specific IIT senior mentor assigned to your session. All mentors are contractually bound by confidentiality obligations and non-disclosure agreements before being onboarded to the Platform. Any breach of confidentiality by a mentor will result in immediate removal from the platform and may attract legal action. Users may report mentor misconduct to grievance@apnasaathi.in.
7.3 Educational and Coaching Partners (Future Phase)
We may, in future phases, share aggregated and anonymised statistical data with coaching institutes or educational institutions for partnership and research purposes. We will notify all users at least 30 days before initiating any such data sharing arrangement and will provide a clear opt-out mechanism before such sharing begins. We will never share your personally identifiable information with any third-party educational organisation without your explicit, specific, and separate prior consent.
7.4 Legal and Regulatory Authorities
We may disclose your personal data where required by applicable Indian law, court order, or direction from a competent government authority. Where permitted by law, we will endeavour to notify the affected user before disclosing their personal data to any government or regulatory authority.
7.5 Business Transfers
In the event of any future incorporation, investment, acquisition, or business transfer, your personal data may be transferred to the successor entity. Such transfer shall be subject to equivalent data protection obligations. Users will be notified at least 30 days prior to any such transfer via email and in-platform notification.
7.6 With Your Explicit Consent
For any purpose not described above, we will seek and obtain your explicit, specific, and informed consent before sharing your data with any third party.
8.1 Storage Location
User data is currently stored in password-protected Google Sheets and Google Drive files accessible only to authorised founding team members. All files are stored within Google Drive infrastructure. We do not operate dedicated servers. As a small student-founded platform, we use Google Workspace as our primary data storage tool and acknowledge this as an early-stage infrastructure arrangement.
To the extent that service providers such as Google, WhatsApp, or Razorpay process data outside India as part of their global infrastructure, we note that we do not have direct control over the geographic location of their servers. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of these providers.
We will update our data storage practices as the platform grows and formalises. The Government of India is in the process of finalising cross-border data transfer rules under the DPDP Act 2023. We will update our data transfer practices as and when such rules are officially notified.
8.2 Retention Periods
| Data Category | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account registration and profile data | Duration of active account + 1 year from last login activity |
| JoSAA counselling data (rank, preferences, chat history) | 2 years from the JoSAA counselling season in which it was collected and used |
| Payment transaction records and invoices | 8 years as required under Indian tax and accounting legislation |
| Human mentor session notes | 2 years from the date of the session |
| Date of birth data (age verification) | Deleted or anonymised within 30 days of successful verification |
| Technical logs and session data | 90 days from collection, after which automatically deleted or anonymised |
| Marketing communication data | Until you opt out or withdraw consent |
| Anonymised usage and analytics data | Retained indefinitely — irreversibly stripped of all personal identifiers and cannot be used to re-identify any individual |
Upon expiry of the applicable retention period, personal data is permanently deleted. Data deletion is carried out through secure deletion of Google Sheets files and Drive folders by authorised founding team members only, and deletion records are maintained for compliance purposes. Upon a valid deletion request under Section 11, personal data will be deleted within 30 days except where retention is required by applicable law.
We are a student-founded platform in early operation and implement the following security measures appropriate to our current stage:
We acknowledge that our current data infrastructure is at an early stage of development. While we implement all reasonable measures available to us, we cannot guarantee absolute security of data stored in cloud-based tools. We are committed to upgrading our security infrastructure as the platform scales. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for notifying us immediately at privacy@apnasaathi.in of any suspected unauthorised access to your account.
A personal data breach includes any accidental or unlawful access to, disclosure of, alteration of, or destruction of user data — including accidental sharing of a Google Sheet, unauthorised access to a team Google account, sending user data to the wrong person, or a mentor accessing data they should not have.
In the event of a confirmed or suspected personal data breach, we shall adhere to the following procedure:
The founding team member designated as Data Protection Officer (dpo@apnasaathi.in) is responsible for leading all breach response and notification activities. We maintain an internal breach register documenting all suspected or confirmed data breaches, the nature of data affected, steps taken, and notifications sent. This register is available for inspection by the Data Protection Board upon request.
To protect your privacy, all rights requests must be submitted from your registered email address. We may ask for additional verification if we have reasonable doubt about the identity of the requester.
| Right | Description | How to Exercise |
|---|---|---|
| Right to Access | Request a clear summary of all personal data we hold about you and how it is being processed. | Email privacy@apnasaathi.in — we respond within 7 business days |
| Right to Correction | Request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal data. | Email privacy@apnasaathi.in or update directly in account settings |
| Right to Erasure | Request deletion of your personal data. Note: Payment transaction records must be retained for 8 years under Indian tax law, and data involved in active legal proceedings cannot be deleted. | Email privacy@apnasaathi.in — we respond within 7 business days |
| Right to Withdraw Consent | Withdraw your consent for any or all processing activities at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. | Account settings or email privacy@apnasaathi.in |
| Right to Grievance Redressal | File a formal complaint regarding any aspect of our data processing with our Grievance Officer. | Email grievance@apnasaathi.in — acknowledgement within 48 hours, resolution within 7 business days |
| Right to Nominate | Nominate another individual to exercise your data rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity. Must be submitted with a copy of valid government ID. | Written nomination to privacy@apnasaathi.in — response within 15 business days |
| Right to Data Portability | Request a copy of your personal data as a CSV or Excel file delivered to your registered email. | Email privacy@apnasaathi.in — delivered within 7 business days |
| Right to Opt-Out of Marketing | Opt out of all promotional and marketing communications at any time. | Unsubscribe link in any communication or account settings |
| Right to Escalate | If unsatisfied with our response, escalate your complaint to the Data Protection Board of India. | Visit the Data Protection Board's official portal |
The Platform is designed primarily for JEE Advanced qualifiers who are typically 16-18 years of age. We recognise that the majority of our users may be minors and treat all user data with the highest level of care accordingly.
If your child is using Apna Saathi, their data — including name, email, JEE rank, and category — is used solely to provide JoSAA counselling guidance through our AI chatbot and mentor network. It is used for no other purpose.
For users below eighteen (18) years of age, we request that a parent or guardian reviews and approves account creation. We display a clear parental consent checkbox during registration which must be ticked before proceeding. We rely on the honesty of the user in completing this step. We acknowledge this is a basic consent mechanism and commit to strengthening our verification process as the platform scales.
Data belonging to users identified as minors is never shared with any third party for commercial, marketing, or analytical purposes under any circumstances. We do not conduct targeted advertising, behavioural monitoring, or profiling of any user identified as a minor.
Parents or guardians may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their minor child's data by emailing privacy@apnasaathi.in from a verified email address along with the child's registered email address and name. We will respond within 7 business days. Where we discover that a minor has registered without parental consent, we will immediately restrict their account access and permanently delete their data within 7 days of discovery.
We are a small student-founded team and implement all child safety measures within our current capabilities. We are deeply committed to protecting minor users and will strengthen these measures as our platform grows. If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child without appropriate parental consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@apnasaathi.in and we will act without undue delay to delete such data.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser when you visit our Platform. They help the Platform remember you and your preferences between visits.
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Can You Disable? |
|---|---|---|
| Login / Session Cookies (Google Sign-In) | Login and session functionality is managed through Google Sign-In authentication. Cookies set by Google Sign-In are essential for the Platform to function and are governed by Google's own cookie and privacy policies. | No — disabling these will prevent login |
| Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics) | Collecting anonymised data on how users navigate the Platform to improve performance. IP addresses are masked before transmission. Please note that Google Analytics data is processed by Google LLC under their own Privacy Policy. | Yes — via browser settings or Google's opt-out tool at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout |
User preferences and settings are stored in your account profile rather than through cookies. We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. If we introduce these in future, this policy will be updated and users will be notified through a notice on the Platform. When you first visit our Platform, you will see a simple notice informing you that we use cookies. By continuing to use the Platform you acknowledge this notice.
Saathi is a fully automated AI tool. It is not a human counsellor, licensed advisor, or accredited academic expert. Responses generated by Saathi may contain errors, inaccuracies, or outdated information. The Company accepts no liability whatsoever for any decision made by a user based on Saathi's responses. Users rely on Saathi entirely at their own risk.
All counselling recommendations, preference list suggestions, and college comparison outputs generated by Saathi are informational and advisory in nature. Final decisions regarding JoSAA counselling, college selection, and seat allocation are your sole responsibility.
Saathi is powered by a third-party AI service provider. We do not train or fine-tune the underlying AI model ourselves. Conversation data sent to the AI service is subject to that provider's own data processing policies. We configure our AI integration to minimise data retention to the extent permitted by the provider. Conversation logs may be periodically reviewed by founding team members for the purpose of improving Saathi's accuracy and identifying errors. All reviews are conducted with strict confidentiality.
Where Saathi cannot provide a confident or accurate answer, it will clearly state its limitations and direct you to book a session with a human mentor through the mentor booking feature.
All information provided by Saathi regarding JoSAA cutoffs, seat availability, eligibility criteria, and counselling procedures must be independently verified from the official JoSAA website at josaa.nic.in before any decision is made. Apna Saathi accepts no responsibility for decisions made without such independent verification.
In the event that Saathi provides incorrect information, users may report this to support@apnasaathi.in. The Company reserves the right to suspend or modify Saathi's functionality at any time without prior notice if errors are detected.
Phase 2 of the Platform includes curated links to third-party educational platforms, video resources, online learning communities, and open educational content. The specific platforms linked may change over time as we update our resource library. Inclusion of a link on our Platform does not imply that we have reviewed, verified, or endorsed all content available on the linked platform.
Payment processing is handled by Razorpay Software Private Limited, an independent third-party payment gateway. Your interaction with Razorpay during payment is governed entirely by Razorpay's own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy available at razorpay.com. Any payment disputes must be resolved directly with Razorpay.
Deadline alerts and service notifications are delivered through WhatsApp Business API. Your mobile number is shared with the WhatsApp Business API provider solely for this notification purpose. WhatsApp's own privacy policy governs their processing of this data.
Account authentication is managed through Google Sign-In. By using Google Sign-In to access our Platform you are also subject to Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Apna Saathi does not currently have any paid affiliate, referral, or commercial relationships with any third-party platforms or services linked or recommended on the Platform. All curated resources are selected purely on the basis of educational value.
We are not responsible for any data shared by you with, or collected by, any third-party platform. If you encounter a broken, harmful, or inappropriate link through our Platform please report it to support@apnasaathi.in.
As a small student-founded platform, we use free and accessible global services including Google Workspace, WhatsApp Business API, and Razorpay to operate our Platform. These services may process certain data on servers located outside India as part of their global infrastructure. We do not have direct control over the geographic location of servers used by these third-party providers. However, all providers we use are reputable global services that maintain their own data protection and security standards.
We cannot independently control or verify the internal data routing practices of these providers. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of Google, WhatsApp, and Razorpay to understand how their data may be processed internationally.
The Government of India is in the process of finalising cross-border data transfer rules under the DPDP Act 2023. We will update our data transfer practices and this Policy as and when such rules are officially notified. If you are uncomfortable with any international data processing by our third-party service providers, you may choose not to use the Platform or may contact us at privacy@apnasaathi.in to discuss your concerns.
You may raise a grievance for any of the following: incorrect data held about you, unauthorised use of your data, failure to delete your data upon request, concerns about AI counselling accuracy, mentor misconduct, payment issues, or any other concern related to your use of the Platform.
Our grievance process works as follows:
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Grievance Officer | [Name of Designated Founding Team Member] — Apna Saathi, IIT Kharagpur |
| Grievance Email | grievance@apnasaathi.in |
| Privacy / Data Queries & General Support | support@apnasaathi.in (Subject: PRIVACY REQUEST for data queries, GRIEVANCE for formal complaints, MINOR DATA for parental requests) |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) | dpo@apnasaathi.in |
| Correspondence Address | c/o [Founding Team Member Name], IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal — 721302. Note: Apna Saathi is an independent student venture and is not officially affiliated with IIT Kharagpur as an institution. |
| Acknowledgement Turnaround | Within 48 hours of receiving your grievance |
| Resolution Turnaround | Within 7 business days for standard requests; within 15 business days for complex legal matters |
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Data Protection Board of India, as constituted under the DPDP Act, 2023.
We reserve the right to update, revise, or modify this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice to users. The updated Policy will be published on the Platform at www.apnasaathi.in/privacy-policy with a revised Effective Date.
It is the sole responsibility of the User to periodically review this Policy for any changes. The Company is under no obligation to notify Users of any changes to this Policy. Continued use of the Platform after any changes are published constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy, whether or not the User has reviewed such changes.
If you do not agree with any updated version of this Policy, you must stop using the Platform. The Company is not responsible for any consequences arising from a User's failure to review updated policies in a timely manner. Previous versions of this Policy are superseded entirely upon publication of a revised version.
By clicking "I Agree" during registration or by accessing and using any feature of the Platform, you hereby confirm that:
Apna Saathi was built by IIT Kharagpur students to help JEE Advanced qualifiers navigate JoSAA counselling. These Terms govern your use of our Platform and protect both you and us.
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") constitute a comprehensive, legally binding, and enforceable agreement governing every aspect of access to, interaction with, and use of the Apna Saathi Platform. These Terms are entered into between Apna Saathi, currently operating as an unincorporated student venture founded at IIT Kharagpur, India, pending formal business registration ("Company", "we", "us", "our") — with founding team members being individually and jointly responsible for all obligations herein — and any individual accessing or using the Platform ("User", "you", "your").
By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety, together with the Privacy Policy set out in Part A and the Refund Policy in Section 8, which together constitute the complete and legally binding agreement between you and the Company.
Agreement to these Terms is confirmed through a mandatory checkbox presented during account registration which must be actively ticked before proceeding. Passive browsing of the Platform's publicly accessible pages does not constitute agreement to these Terms.
The User expressly acknowledges that the Platform is not a public utility, essential service, or government resource, but a privately owned, technology-driven, educationally-focused digital platform. Access to the Platform is a conditional privilege granted by the Company and not a matter of right. The Company may withdraw this privilege at any time, with or without reason, with or without notice, and without any obligation to provide explanation or compensation to the User. This includes situations where the Company determines, at its sole discretion, that continued access may result in harm arising from AI system errors, human mentor errors, technical malfunctions, suspected misuse, or any other platform-related issue.
If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not access or use the Platform.
For the purposes of these Terms, the term "Platform" shall be interpreted broadly to include all features and services that are live and operational at the time of the User's registration. Features described as Phase 2 or future development are aspirational and the Company makes no guarantee of their availability or timeline.
Phase 1 — Currently Available: AI counselling chatbot Saathi, My Chances dashboard, Preference List Builder, WhatsApp deadline alerts, human mentor sessions, and knowledge base articles.
Phase 2 — Planned Features: Domain exploration programme, curated resource library for career domains, and additional educational content. Phase 2 features are provided free of charge and will be made available progressively. No specific timeline is guaranteed.
Human mentor sessions are currently scheduled through a simple booking mechanism. Session availability depends on mentor availability and is not guaranteed at all times.
WhatsApp notification services are delivered through a third-party API and are subject to availability. The Company does not guarantee uninterrupted WhatsApp notification delivery and accepts no liability for missed notifications due to third-party service interruptions.
The Company does not guarantee uninterrupted availability of the Platform. Scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, third-party service outages, or technical issues may result in temporary unavailability of some or all Platform features. The Company accepts no liability for losses arising from Platform unavailability.
Any new features introduced will form part of the Platform and be governed by these Terms. Where new features involve additional charges or material changes to the service, users will be informed through a notice on the Platform before such features are activated.
Acceptance of these Terms occurs at the point of active registration on the Platform through a mandatory checkbox confirmation. Casual browsing of publicly accessible pages does not constitute acceptance of these Terms.
It is the User's sole responsibility to periodically review these Terms for updates. Continued use of the Platform following any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms whether or not the User has reviewed such changes. The Company is under no obligation to notify Users of any changes to these Terms. The updated Terms will be published on the Platform with a revised effective date. Previous versions of these Terms are superseded entirely upon publication of a revised version.
These Terms are written in English which is the governing language of this agreement. In case of any translation or interpretation dispute, the English version shall prevail.
Apna Saathi recognises that the majority of its users are students between 16-18 years of age appearing for or having cleared JEE Advanced. The following eligibility provisions are designed with this reality in mind.
4.1 Users Eighteen (18) Years of Age or Above
Only individuals who are eighteen (18) years of age or above are permitted to independently register on the Platform and access all Services in their own name and on their own behalf. Such Users expressly confirm that they possess full legal capacity to enter into binding contracts, to consent to the processing of their personal data, and to assume full and exclusive responsibility for all activities conducted through their account.
4.2 Use of the Platform by Minors (Below 18 Years)
Where a User is below eighteen (18) years of age, access is permitted strictly on the basis of the express, informed consent of the User's parent or lawful guardian. We request parental consent through a dedicated checkbox at registration which the parent or guardian is required to tick on behalf of the minor. We rely on the honesty of users in completing this step as we do not currently have the technical capability to independently verify parental consent. Where we discover consent was falsely provided, the account will be immediately terminated.
4.3 Parental Consent Verification
Parental consent is currently obtained through a dedicated checkbox at registration. We acknowledge this is a basic consent mechanism and commit to strengthening our verification process as the platform scales.
4.4 Ongoing Parental Responsibility
Parents and guardians are encouraged to actively participate in the JoSAA counselling process alongside their child. Apna Saathi's tools and recommendations are designed to be reviewed and discussed with a parent or guardian before any final decisions are made. All access by a minor shall be deemed to be under the direct supervision and responsibility of the parent or lawful guardian.
4.5 Right to Suspend or Terminate Minor Accounts
The Company reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate any account at any time without prior notice, without providing reasons, and without any obligation to refund fees paid where age has been misrepresented or parental consent is absent. The founding team's decision on such matters is final.
Users must independently verify their eligibility to appear for JEE Advanced and participate in JoSAA counselling as per criteria published by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority. Apna Saathi does not determine or verify JEE Advanced eligibility. For details on how personal data of minor users is collected and protected, please refer to Section 12 of the Privacy Policy in Part A.
Apna Saathi is a student-founded, AI-assisted information platform. It is not a professional counselling service, a government-affiliated body, or an accredited academic institution. All guidance provided through the Platform is informational only and carries no professional, legal, or academic authority whatsoever.
The Company does not conduct admissions, allocate JoSAA seats, determine eligibility for institutions, award degrees, conduct examinations, accredit educational institutions, guarantee any academic or career outcome, or have any affiliation with the Joint Seat Allocation Authority, IITs, NITs, IIITs, or any participating institution.
JoSAA cutoff data used by the Platform is based on historical trends from previous counselling seasons. Past cutoffs are not a reliable indicator of future cutoffs and should not be treated as guaranteed predictions. Users must verify current cutoff trends from official JoSAA publications.
AI-generated recommendations including preference list suggestions, college comparisons, and probability estimates are based on historical data and algorithmic analysis. They do not account for all variables that affect actual seat allocation. All AI recommendations must be independently verified.
Human mentor sessions provide the personal opinions and experiences of IIT senior students. Mentor views do not constitute professional academic, legal, or career advice. The Company does not verify the accuracy of information shared by mentors and accepts no liability for mentor opinions.
The Company expressly disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, missed opportunity, incorrect seat selection, or adverse outcome arising from a User's reliance on any information, recommendation, or guidance provided through the Platform, whether generated by AI or human mentors. Users rely on the Platform entirely at their own risk.
Apna Saathi is an early-stage student venture currently in its initial launch phase. Users acknowledge that as an early-stage platform, some features may be limited, under development, or subject to change. The Company commits to continuous improvement and transparency about platform limitations.
Counselling services offered through the Platform — whether through the AI chatbot Saathi or through human mentor sessions — are advisory and informational in nature only. All of the inputs used — User-provided data, historical JoSAA cutoff trends, and the AI system's trained knowledge base — may contain errors, outdated information, or inaccuracies. The Company makes no representation that counselling outputs will be accurate, complete, or appropriate for any individual user's specific situation.
In simple terms — Apna Saathi is a guidance tool, not a guarantee. Nothing we tell you through Saathi or through a mentor session is a promise of any outcome. We are here to help you make informed decisions — the decisions and their consequences are entirely yours.
The User acknowledges that counselling interactions through the Platform do not create any fiduciary duty, contractual assurance, promise, or guarantee on the part of the Company. By using the Platform, the User expressly agrees that they will not hold the Company responsible for any outcome arising from decisions made using Platform guidance — including incorrect preference list ordering, missed counselling deadlines, seat rejection, or unsatisfactory college allocation.
Where AI-generated guidance from Saathi conflicts with advice received during a human mentor session, the User is solely responsible for determining which guidance to follow. The Company accepts no liability arising from conflicting guidance received through different Platform channels.
Counselling services provided through the Platform are primarily designed for JoSAA counselling. While Saathi may provide general information on related processes such as CSAB or state counselling, the Platform's expertise and data is optimised for JoSAA. Users seeking guidance on other admission processes should consult appropriate dedicated resources.
While the Platform endeavours to send timely deadline alerts through WhatsApp and email, the Company accepts no responsibility for missed deadlines due to notification delivery failures, user inattention, or any other reason. Users are solely responsible for tracking all JoSAA counselling deadlines from official JoSAA communications.
Human mentor sessions are not recorded by the Company. Notes made during mentor sessions are stored as described in Section 8 of the Privacy Policy in Part A. Users may make their own notes during mentor sessions for personal reference.
Where registration or submission of information is required, the User undertakes to provide information that is true, accurate, current, complete, and lawfully provided. Users who need to update their registered information may do so by contacting support@apnasaathi.in with their registered email address and the details to be updated. We will process update requests within 7 business days.
Where the Platform uses Google Sign-In for authentication, the User is solely responsible for maintaining the security of their Google account including enabling two-factor authentication. The Company accepts no liability for unauthorised access resulting from a User's failure to secure their Google account.
The Company shall not be liable for any losses, data exposure, or unauthorised access arising from the User sharing their login credentials, leaving their account logged in on shared devices, using weak passwords, or failing to secure their Google account. The User assumes full responsibility for all activities conducted through their account regardless of whether such activities were authorised by them.
Each User is permitted to maintain only one active account on the Platform. Creating multiple accounts for the same individual is strictly prohibited and may result in termination of all associated accounts without refund.
If you suspect unauthorised access to your account, contact support@apnasaathi.in immediately with your registered email address. We will take reasonable steps to secure your account within 48 hours of receiving your report.
Providing false, misleading, or inaccurate information during registration — including misrepresentation of JEE rank, category, or age — will result in immediate account termination without refund and may attract legal action where the misrepresentation causes harm to the Company or other users.
All payments made on the Platform are strictly non-refundable under any and all circumstances. By completing payment, the User expressly acknowledges and agrees that no refund will be provided for any reason — including but not limited to change of mind, dissatisfaction with AI recommendations, mentor session experience, feature unavailability, account suspension or termination due to User misconduct, or any other reason whatsoever. The Company's decision on all payment and refund related matters is final and binding.
The User agrees to use the Platform in a lawful, responsible, and ethical manner strictly in accordance with these Terms and all applicable Indian laws. The User shall not use the Platform for any purpose that is illegal, fraudulent, deceptive, harmful, or inconsistent with the educational and facilitative nature of the Platform.
Without limitation, the User shall not:
During human mentor sessions, Users must conduct themselves respectfully and professionally. Abusive, threatening, or inappropriate behaviour toward mentors will result in immediate termination of the session and permanent suspension of the User's account without refund. Mentors reserve the right to end a session immediately if a User behaves inappropriately.
Upon determination of non-compliance, the Company may, without prior notice, suspend or terminate access, remove or disable content, withhold services without refund, and report unlawful activity to appropriate regulatory or law enforcement authorities. The Company specifically reserves the right to report suspected misrepresentation of JEE rank or category, identity fraud, or any activity that compromises the integrity of the JoSAA counselling process. All enforcement decisions made by the Company under this section are final, non-appealable, and not subject to review or challenge by the User.
All original content, branding, logos, and platform design created by the Apna Saathi founding team vest exclusively with the Company. Third-party tools, AI models, open source components, and licensed resources used in building the Platform remain the intellectual property of their respective owners and are used under their applicable licences and terms of service.
JoSAA cutoff data, institutional information, and other publicly available educational data used on the Platform remains the property of the respective government bodies and educational institutions. Apna Saathi claims no ownership over such data and uses it solely for counselling facilitation purposes.
The User is granted a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and non-commercial licence to access and use the Platform solely for their personal JoSAA counselling purposes during the period of their active account. This licence does not permit copying, downloading, reproducing, or distributing any Platform content beyond what is necessary for personal counselling use.
Preference lists, counselling outputs, and recommendations generated through the Platform are created based on User inputs and Platform algorithms. While Users may use these outputs for their personal counselling purposes, they may not reproduce, distribute, or commercially exploit such outputs. The underlying algorithms and logic remain the exclusive property of the Company.
Any feedback, suggestions, ideas, or recommendations submitted by Users to the Company become the exclusive property of the Company upon submission. The Company may use such feedback for any purpose without compensation or attribution to the User.
Unauthorised reproduction, redistribution, or commercial use of Apna Saathi's original content including counselling guides, knowledge base articles, platform design, branding, and AI-generated outputs constitutes infringement of the Company's intellectual property rights and may attract civil and criminal liability under the Copyright Act 1957 and other applicable Indian laws.
By registering on the Platform, the User expressly consents to receiving communications from the Company through WhatsApp messages, email, and in-platform notifications for purposes including service delivery, JoSAA deadline alerts, mentor session confirmations, platform updates, and where separately opted in, promotional communications.
The Company will only send communications that are relevant and necessary. JoSAA deadline alerts will only be sent during the active JoSAA counselling season. We do not send unnecessary or excessive messages.
Users who book human mentor sessions will receive session confirmation, reminder, and follow-up communications through their registered email address and WhatsApp number. These communications are essential service notifications and cannot be opted out of while a mentor session is active or pending.
Users who do not wish to receive WhatsApp notifications may opt out by contacting support@apnasaathi.in. Please note that opting out of service notifications may result in missed JoSAA deadline alerts for which the Company accepts no responsibility.
Communication records including WhatsApp message logs and email correspondence are retained as per the periods described in Section 8 of the Privacy Policy in Part A. All communications will be undertaken in compliance with applicable Indian laws including the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
For complete details regarding third-party services, payment processors, communication platforms, and external links used by the Platform, please refer to Section 15 of the Privacy Policy in Part A of this document. All provisions stated therein apply equally to these Terms and Conditions.
The Company expressly disclaims all liability of any kind arising from the User's interaction with any third-party service, platform, or resource accessed through or in connection with the Platform. This disclaimer applies regardless of whether the third-party service was recommended, curated, or linked by the Company.
Any payment disputes, failed transactions, or billing issues arising from Razorpay's payment processing systems must be resolved directly with Razorpay. The Company will provide reasonable assistance where possible but accepts no liability for Razorpay's systems or decisions.
The Company's ability to deliver certain Platform features depends on the continuous availability of third-party services including Google, WhatsApp, Razorpay, and the AI service provider. The Company accepts no liability for any interruption or failure of Platform features caused by third-party service outages.
When accessing third-party platforms through links on the Apna Saathi Platform, Users are subject to the terms of service and community guidelines of those platforms. The Company is not responsible for any action taken against a User by a third-party platform for violation of that platform's own terms.
The Platform is provided by a student-founded early-stage venture on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Users acknowledge that as an early-stage platform, features may be incomplete, unavailable, or subject to change at any time without notice.
The Company makes no guarantee of Platform availability, uptime, or continuity of any feature. The Platform may be taken down, modified, or discontinued at any time without prior notice or compensation.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Indian law, the Company disclaims all warranties including but not limited to warranties of accuracy, availability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
In simple terms — Saathi can be wrong. Mentor advice can be wrong. Cutoff predictions can be wrong. Do not make any important JoSAA decision based solely on anything our Platform tells you without independently verifying from official JoSAA sources at josaa.nic.in.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law, the Company shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or in connection with the use of or inability to use the Platform.
The Company accepts absolutely no liability for any loss, damage, missed opportunity, or adverse outcome arising directly or indirectly from errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in AI-generated counselling outputs, preference list recommendations, or probability estimates provided by Saathi.
The Company accepts no liability for any advice, opinion, or recommendation provided by human mentors during sessions. Mentor sessions represent personal opinions of IIT senior students and not professional advice of any kind.
The aggregate and total liability of the Company to any User for all claims arising in connection with the Platform shall not exceed Rs. 100 regardless of the nature of the claim or whether fees were paid.
Nothing in this clause shall be construed as limiting liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable Indian law.
The User agrees to fully indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its founding members, officers, employees, mentors, agents, and contractors from and against all claims, demands, actions, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or in connection with:
This indemnification obligation survives termination of these Terms and continues indefinitely regardless of whether the User's account remains active.
The Company reserves the absolute and unconditional right to suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate any User's access to the Platform at any time, with or without prior notice, with or without reason, and without any obligation to provide explanation, compensation, or refund. This right applies in all circumstances including but not limited to breach of these Terms, AI or human errors, suspected misuse, misrepresentation of identity or age, legal or regulatory requirements, or any other reason at the Company's sole discretion.
Users may request account deletion by emailing support@apnasaathi.in from their registered email address. Account deletion will be processed within 7 business days. Deletion of account does not entitle the User to any refund of fees paid.
Upon account termination, the User's personal data will be handled in accordance with the retention periods specified in Section 8 of the Privacy Policy in Part A. Termination does not result in immediate deletion of all data where retention is required by applicable law.
Clauses relating to intellectual property, data protection, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution shall survive the termination of these Terms.
The Company reserves the right to assign, transfer, or restructure its operations, assets, and obligations under these Terms at any time, including in connection with any future incorporation, investment, acquisition, or business transfer. Users will be notified of any material change in ownership through a notice on the Platform.
Users may not transfer, assign, or share their account or any rights under these Terms with any other person under any circumstances. Any purported assignment by the User without Company consent shall be null and void.
These Terms and the Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India.
Before initiating any legal proceedings, the User agrees to first attempt resolution through direct communication with the Company by emailing grievance@apnasaathi.in and allowing a minimum of 30 days for resolution.
Any dispute that cannot be resolved through good-faith direct negotiation shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Kharagpur / Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Nothing in this clause limits a User's statutory right to approach a consumer court or forum under the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
The Company reserves the right to seek urgent injunctive or emergency relief from any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property, data security, or other rights without being bound by the dispute resolution process described above.
Entire Agreement: These Terms and the Privacy Policy together constitute the complete and entire agreement between the User and the Company with respect to the Platform and supersede all prior agreements, representations, or understandings. In simple terms — this document is the complete agreement between you and Apna Saathi. Nothing said verbally, in WhatsApp messages, or in mentor sessions creates additional obligations on the Company beyond what is written here.
Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found by a competent court to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remainder of these Terms shall continue in full force and effect.
Waiver: Failure by the Company to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision in any current or future instance.
Force Majeure: The Company shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including internet outages, third-party service failures including Google, WhatsApp, or Razorpay outages, power failures, government actions, cyberattacks, or any other cause constituting force majeure.
No Partnership: Nothing in these Terms shall be construed as creating a partnership, joint venture, employment, franchise, or agency relationship between the User and the Company.
IIT Kharagpur Disclaimer: Nothing in these Terms shall be construed as creating any partnership, affiliation, endorsement, or association between Apna Saathi and IIT Kharagpur or any other educational institution. Apna Saathi is an independent student venture and is not officially affiliated with, endorsed by, or operating under the authority of IIT Kharagpur.
Notices: All formal notices and legal communications to the Company must be sent to grievance@apnasaathi.in. General queries and support requests should be directed to support@apnasaathi.in.
Users may raise formal grievances, complaints, or queries regarding the Platform, Services, or these Terms with the designated Grievance Officer at grievance@apnasaathi.in. The Company will acknowledge receipt of all grievances within 48 hours and endeavour to resolve them within 7 business days from the date of acknowledgement. Complex matters involving legal or regulatory issues will be resolved within 15 business days.
Where a grievance relates to personal data processing, it will be additionally escalated to the Data Protection Officer at dpo@apnasaathi.in.