Help Clean Kerala Mission

The Help Clean Kerala Mission ("we," "our," or "us") is deeply committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. As a social welfare initiative dedicated to environmental cleanliness and community education, we believe in complete transparency regarding how we collect, use, and protect your data. This Detailed Privacy Policy explains our data practices in strict compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA) of India.

1. Information We Collect

To effectively organize campaigns, manage volunteers, and improve our platform, we may collect the following types of information:

A. Personal Information You Provide Directly

• Account Registration: When you register as a member or volunteer, we collect your full name, email address, mobile number, and residential area (e.g., city, district, or pin code) to connect you with local initiatives.
• Volunteer & Campaign Data: Information regarding your availability, the clean-up drives you participate in, and any content you voluntarily submit, such as campaign reports, suggestions, or photographs.
• Communication Data: If you contact us for support or grievances, we collect your contact details and the contents of your message.

B. Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and the pages you interact with. This helps us ensure the platform functions correctly across different devices.
• Cookies: We use functional and analytical cookies to remember your preferences and understand community engagement. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We do not use your personal information for commercial gain. Your data is used exclusively for the following mission-driven purposes:

• Organizing Clean-up Drives: To coordinate volunteer groups, share local event locations, and ensure adequate safety equipment is available.
• Platform Administration: To create and manage your account, verify your identity, and provide community support.
• Communication: To send you important updates, newsletters, educational materials regarding waste segregation (The 4R's), and alerts about upcoming campaigns in your area.
• Safety & Compliance: To enforce our Community Guidelines, protect the platform from malicious activity, and comply with Indian legal obligations.

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We categorically do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third parties, marketing agencies, or data brokers. We only share information under the following limited circumstances:

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by Indian law, court order, or lawful request by government authorities or law enforcement agencies for the prevention or investigation of illegal activities.
• Trusted Service Providers: We may use secure third-party services for website hosting, email delivery, and secure database management. These providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and are prohibited from using your data for any other purpose.
• Public Contributions: If you submit photos, ideas, or articles for public viewing on our platform, this content will be visible to other users and the general public.

4. Children's Privacy Policy

Given our focus on early education and "Cleanliness Coaching" for children, we take the privacy of minors very seriously:

• Parental Consent: Children under the age of 18 must have explicit consent from a parent, legal guardian, or authorized educational institution to register an account or provide personal data on our platform.
• Data Minimization: We only collect the absolute minimum data necessary for a minor to participate in supervised educational workshops or clean-up activities.
• Right to Deletion: Parents and guardians have the right to review, request modifications to, or request the immediate deletion of their child's personal information at any time.

5. Data Security Measures

We implement robust, industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. This includes secure server hosting, data encryption (SSL/TLS for website traffic), and restricted administrative access limited only to authorized Help Clean Kerala Mission personnel.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as your account is active, or as necessary to fulfill the social welfare purposes outlined in this policy. If you request account deletion, we will securely erase your personal data within 30 days, except for information we are legally required to retain for regulatory compliance or audit purposes.

7. Your Rights Under Indian Data Protection Laws

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you hold specific rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You can request a summary of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You can update or correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure: You can request the permanent deletion of your personal data from our systems.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent for us to process your data at any time (note that this may limit your ability to participate as a registered volunteer).

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, educational resources, or government portals (e.g., local municipal corporation sites). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review their specific privacy policies upon visiting.

9. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Detailed Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our activities, technological advancements, or legal requirements. When updates are made, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

10. Contact Us & Grievance Redressal

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding your privacy, or if you wish to exercise your data rights, please contact our designated Grievance Officer. We are committed to addressing your concerns promptly and transparently.

• Grievance Officer / Founder: George Thomas Kovoor
• Official Address: No. 8 Kumaranasan Nagar, Kadavanthra PO, Kochi - 682020, Kerala, India
• Email Contacts: info@helpcleankerala.in
• Contact Number: +91-9447746821