Rishikul Yogshala Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 01, 2024 | Last Updated: March 26, 2026

Rishikul Yogshala ('we', 'us', or 'our') is a Yoga Alliance registered yoga school based in Rishikesh, India, offering multi-style Yoga Teacher Training Courses (YTTC), wellness programs, and retreats. We are committed to protecting the personal information of every student, visitor, and prospective enrollee who interacts with our website (https://www.rishikulyogshalarishikesh.com/) or engages with our programs.

This Privacy & Data Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data. It has been prepared in compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. For students and visitors from the European Union or European Economic Area, we align our practices with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For California residents, we comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you submit an inquiry, complete an enrollment form, or register for any of our programs, we may collect:

• Full legal name, email address, phone number, and nationality
• Country of residence and mailing address
• Yoga experience level, health disclosures, and any medical conditions relevant to participation
• Passport or travel document details required for residential program administration
• Course preferences, selected program dates, and enrollment details
• Payment reference information (we do not store card numbers or banking credentials)

1.2 Consultation & Enrollment Data (Proponent Technologies Pvt. Ltd.)

As part of the enrollment process, Proponent Technologies Pvt. Ltd. — our authorized enrollment consultation partner — collects certain personal data directly from students during the consultation and facilitation stage. This includes your name, contact details, course preferences, travel information, and enrollment timeline. This data is used exclusively to deliver the enrollment consultation service and to facilitate your enrollment with Rishikul Yogshala. Only data strictly necessary for enrollment processing is shared with RYS by Proponent Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Each entity operates its own data protection practices independently.

1.3 Automatically Collected Data

When you browse our website, our systems automatically collect technical data, including your IP address, browser type and version, device identifiers, pages visited, session duration, and referring URLs. This information helps us maintain website security and improve your browsing experience.

1.4 Communications Data

We retain records of communications made via email, WhatsApp, and our inquiry forms to ensure continuity of support. These records are used solely for service delivery and internal administration.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your personal data is used exclusively for legitimate purposes connected to your engagement with Rishikul Yogshala, including:

• Processing course enrollments and issuing confirmation letters for all YTTC programs
• Communicating program schedules, pre-course materials, logistics, and updates
• Providing ongoing student support during and after your program
• Sending wellness content, newsletters, and promotional information where you have opted in
• Analysing website usage to improve our courses and digital experience
• Detecting and addressing fraud, security risks, or technical issues
• Meeting our obligations under Indian law and applicable international regulations

3. Media Consent

By enrolling in any Rishikul Yogshala program, you grant Rishikul Yogshala a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use photographs and videos captured during the course for promotional, marketing, and educational purposes, including on our website, social media channels, printed materials, and advertising.

This licence does not extend to the sale or transfer of media to unaffiliated third parties for their independent commercial use. If you wish to withdraw media consent, please send a written request to contact@rishikulyogshalarishikesh.com. We will make commercially reasonable efforts to remove your identifiable images within 60 days of receiving such a request, except where images are already incorporated into printed materials or archived content.

4. Legal Basis for Data Processing

4.1 Indian Legal Framework (DPDP Act, 2023)

Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and associated IT Rules, we process personal data on the basis of your informed consent or as necessary to fulfil a lawful purpose directly connected to your enrollment and participation in our services.

4.2 GDPR (EU/EEA Users)

For users in the EU or EEA, we rely on consent, contractual necessity (enrollment processing), compliance with legal obligations, and legitimate interests such as improving course delivery and ensuring student safety.

4.3 CCPA (California Residents)

We do not sell personal data. California residents may exercise rights to access, delete, or opt out of certain data uses by contacting us at the details provided at the end of this policy.

5. Sharing of Personal Data

5.1 Authorized Partners

We share your data only with entities that have a direct and necessary role in supporting your enrollment or program experience:

• Proponent Technologies Pvt. Ltd. — our authorized enrollment consultation partner, which collects and processes student data independently as part of the pre-enrollment consultation service
• Payment gateways and banking partners for secure transaction processing
• Analytics service providers (including Google Analytics) for website performance monitoring
• Email and communication platforms for service-related notifications

5.2 No Unauthorized Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for marketing or commercial purposes. All partners who receive your data are contractually required to process it solely for the agreed purpose and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

5.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your data when legally required — for example, in response to a court order, government directive, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of Rishikul Yogshala and its students.

6. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Rishikul Yogshala is based in India, and all personal data is primarily stored and processed here. If you are enrolling from another country, your information will be transferred to and processed in India. We ensure all reasonable safeguards are in place for such transfers in compliance with applicable laws, including the DPDP Act, 2023.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Enrollment records, course history, and certification data are maintained for a minimum of five (5) years following program completion. You may request deletion of your data at any time, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.

8. Your Rights

8.1 Rights Under India's DPDP Act, 2023

• Right to access a summary of your personal data being processed by us
• Right to correct or update inaccurate or outdated information
• Right to withdraw consent for data processing (subject to legal obligations)
• Right to nominate a representative to exercise rights on your behalf
• Right to raise a grievance with our Grievance Officer or the Data Protection Board of India

8.2 Rights Under GDPR (EU/EEA)

EU/EEA residents additionally hold rights to erasure ('right to be forgotten'), data portability, restriction of processing, and the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.

9. Protection of Minors

Our yoga teacher training programs are designed for adults aged 18 years and above. Students aged 16 to 17 may enroll only with verified written parental or guardian consent. We do not knowingly collect or process personal data of individuals under 16 years of age. Should we become aware of any such data being collected inadvertently, we will take immediate steps to delete it.

10. Data Security

We employ industry-standard technical and organizational security measures including encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), access controls, and regular internal reviews. No digital system is entirely impenetrable, and we advise users to exercise appropriate caution when sharing sensitive information online.

11. Official Channels

Only information published on the Rishikul Yogshala official website (https://www.rishikulyogshalarishikesh.com/) and confirmed via our official email address (contact@rishikulyogshalarishikesh.com) constitutes a binding representation by Rishikul Yogshala. Information received from third-party agents, aggregators, travel blogs, review platforms, or social media pages is not binding on Rishikul Yogshala.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy & Data Policy to reflect changes in law, our services, or data practices. Significant updates will be communicated via email or a prominent website notice. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent revision.