Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

PYC Education Private Limited is a company registered in India that runs Pratham Youth Community, a youth community offering volunteer opportunities, events, meet-ups, and membership benefits. We communicate with our members and prospective members through our website, email, and the WhatsApp Business Platform. This policy covers all personal data we process in connection with these activities.

2. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Contact details you provide — name, phone number (including WhatsApp number), and email address (for example, when you join our waitlist or become a member).
• WhatsApp profile information — your WhatsApp display name and phone number when you message us or opt in to receive messages from us.
• Message content — the content of messages, media, and attachments you exchange with us over WhatsApp or other channels, and our replies.
• Membership & participation data — events you register for, interests you select, and your activity within the community.
• Technical & usage data — device type, browser, IP address, and pages viewed on our website, collected through standard server logs and analytics.
• Communication preferences — your opt-in and opt-out choices.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data and ask that you do not send it to us over WhatsApp.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide customer support over WhatsApp, email, and our website;
• Send you community updates, event invitations, reminders, and membership information that you have requested or consented to receive;
• Operate and improve our community programmes, website, and services;
• Maintain the security and integrity of our services and prevent abuse or fraud;
• Comply with our legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your WhatsApp messages for advertising.

4. WhatsApp Business Platform & Meta

We use the WhatsApp Business Platform to send and receive messages with users who have opted in. When you communicate with us on WhatsApp, your messages are also processed by Meta Platforms, Inc. and its affiliates in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies.

• We only message users who have provided their phone number and opted in to receive messages from us.
• You can stop receiving WhatsApp messages from us at any time by replying “STOP”, by blocking our number, or by emailing us at neel@pyccommunity.com.
• Your use of WhatsApp is also governed by the WhatsApp Privacy Policy and the Meta Privacy Policy.

5. Legal basis & consent

Where required by law (including India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and, where applicable, the EU/UK GDPR), we rely on the following legal bases: your consent (for marketing and WhatsApp opt-in messages), the performance of a service you requested, our legitimate interests in operating the community, and compliance with legal obligations. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. How we share information

We share personal information only as described below:

• Service providers — Meta Platforms (WhatsApp Business Platform), our messaging/hosting providers, and analytics providers who process data on our behalf under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms;
• Legal & safety — where required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of PYC, our members, or the public;
• Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, or reorganisation, subject to this policy.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

7. Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, to provide our services, and to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. WhatsApp message records and contact details are retained while you remain an active member or opted-in contact and are deleted or anonymised within a reasonable period after you opt out or request deletion, unless we are required to keep them longer by law.

8. Data security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. WhatsApp messages are protected in transit by WhatsApp’s encryption. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights & choices

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Request deletion of your personal information (see Data deletion);
• Withdraw consent or opt out of marketing and WhatsApp messages (reply “STOP” or contact us);
• Object to or restrict certain processing, and request data portability;
• Lodge a complaint with a data-protection authority, including the Data Protection Board of India.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at neel@pyccommunity.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.

10. Data deletion

You can request deletion of your personal data, including your WhatsApp contact details and message history held by us, at any time. Full instructions are available on our Data Deletion page, or you can email neel@pyccommunity.com with the subject line “Data Deletion Request”. We will verify your identity and delete the relevant data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

11. Children & minors

Our services are intended for users who are at least 13 years old, consistent with WhatsApp’s minimum age requirements. Where a member is a minor under the age of 18, we expect that a parent or legal guardian has reviewed this policy and consented to the minor’s participation and communications, in line with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. If you believe a child has provided us personal data without appropriate consent, contact us and we will delete it.

12. International transfers

We are based in India. Meta and certain service providers may process data on servers located outside India. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure it receives an adequate level of protection consistent with applicable law.

13. Cookies

Our website uses only essential cookies and standard server logs needed to operate the site and understand aggregate usage. We do not use cookies to track you across other websites for advertising.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you. The current version is always available at this URL.

15. Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact our privacy contact: