Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

When you interact with Saathi Education Consultancy through our website, WhatsApp, or in-person at our office, we may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact Information: Full name, phone number (including WhatsApp), email address, and city/location.
• Educational Information: Class/grade, academic scores, stream, college, or degree details you share with us during counselling.
• Career Information: Your career goals, interests, work experience (for professionals), and preferences shared during sessions.
• Form Submissions: Information submitted via our website contact form, session booking form, or newsletter signup.
• Communication Records: Records of WhatsApp messages, emails, or call notes from our counselling sessions (with your knowledge).
• Website Usage Data: Technical data such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time on site (collected via cookies and Google Analytics).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect exclusively for legitimate counselling and service delivery purposes:

• To contact you for your requested counselling session or enquiry response.
• To provide personalised career and education counselling services.
• To send you relevant updates, blog articles, and free educational resources (only if you subscribed to our newsletter).
• To improve our website content, services, and counsellor training based on aggregated feedback.
• To maintain records of sessions and recommendations for continuity of counselling.
• To send appointment reminders via WhatsApp or SMS (only for booked sessions).

We will never use your information for unsolicited marketing, sell it to third parties, or share it without your consent.

3. Sharing Your Information

Saathi does not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Within our counselling team: Your information may be shared between Saathi counsellors to ensure continuity of service and proper session assignment.
• With your explicit consent: For example, if you request us to share your profile with a specific college or university as part of an admission application.
• Legal requirements: If required by law or a valid court order, we may disclose information to appropriate authorities.

We do not share your information with colleges, coaching institutes, or any third-party organisations without your specific, informed consent.

4. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and understand how visitors use our site. Types of cookies we use:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality (form submissions, session state).
• Analytics cookies: Google Analytics 4 tracks aggregated, anonymised data about how visitors use our website. This data cannot identify you individually.
• No advertising cookies: We do not use cookies for retargeting, advertising networks, or third-party tracking beyond Google Analytics.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect some website functionality. You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your information is stored securely in password-protected systems accessible only to authorised Saathi staff. We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure.

We retain your information for as long as is necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations — typically no more than 3 years after your last interaction with us, unless you request earlier deletion.

While we take reasonable precautions, no internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted online.

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information held by Saathi:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information from our records.
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly.
• Restrict processing: Ask us to pause the use of your information in specific circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@saathi.com or WhatsApp us at +91 95967 08693. We will respond within 14 working days.

7. Children's Privacy

Our counselling services are intended for students of Class 9 and above (typically 14+ years old). We do not knowingly collect detailed personal information from children under 13 without explicit parental consent.

For students under 18, we encourage a parent or guardian to be involved in the counselling process. Session notes and recommendations may be shared with parents at the student's request.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

Continued use of our services after any policy update constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

9. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

• Email: info@saathi.com
• WhatsApp: +91 95967 08693
• Office: Amargarh, Sopore, J&K — 193201

We take all privacy concerns seriously and will acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours.