Public Brand: Next Bharat Skilling Foundation

An Initiative of IIT Hyderabad | Rural Development Center (RDC)

This policy explains how NBV Skilling Foundation handles personal data across its website, programmes, applications, recruitment, partnerships and community engagement.

1. Our commitment

NBV Skilling Foundation (legal entity), publicly presented as Next Bharat Skilling Foundation (“NBSF”, “we”, “us” or “our”), is a learner-first, Section 8 not-for-profit organisation working to expand equitable access to education, skills, confidence and pathways to dignified and sustainable livelihoods. We recognise that trust, dignity, safeguarding and responsible use of personal information are essential to our work with children, young people, families, educators, employers, donors, partners and communities.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we use it, how we protect and share it, how long we retain it, and the choices and rights available to individuals. It applies to nbvskilling.org, programme forms and registrations, recruitment and volunteer applications, events, surveys, placement support, contribution/refund processes and other official NBSF channels.

2. Who we are

Legal entity: NBV Skilling Foundation, a Section 8 not-for-profit company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 (CIN: U88900TS2026NPL213828).

Public brand: Next Bharat Skilling Foundation.

Institutional descriptor: An Initiative of IIT Hyderabad | Rural Development Center (RDC).

Our work connects school education, college employability and industry-aligned technical skilling through three programmes: Skill in Village (SiV), SkillPlus and Technical Programs. We work with educational institutions, communities, employers, industry bodies, funders, government stakeholders and implementation/knowledge partners to strengthen education-to-livelihood pathways for rural and semi-urban youth.

NBV Skilling Foundation determines the purposes for which personal data is collected and used through its own programmes and systems and is responsible for that processing. Under the DPDP framework, NBV Skilling Foundation will act as the Data Fiduciary where applicable. A partner may be independently responsible for personal data where it collects or uses that data for its own purposes under a separate arrangement.

3. Personal data we may collect

• Identity and contact data – name, postal address, email, telephone/WhatsApp number, date of birth/age, gender and preferred language where relevant to a programme.
• Learner and programme data – school/college, education, qualification records, attendance, assessments, learning progress, feedback, counselling, internship/apprenticeship/placement status, employer details and post-placement follow-up outcomes.
• Parent/guardian and safeguarding data – parent/guardian contact and consent information for minors, emergency contact details and safeguarding records where required.
• Eligibility/supporting documents – limited identity, age, education, income/household or other supporting information only where a programme, funder, regulator or partner requirement makes it necessary.
• Community Contribution and refund data – payer name, amount, receipt/transaction reference, bank details required for a refund, withdrawal classification, attendance verification and supporting documents where reasonably necessary.
• Donor, CSR, grant and partner data – institutional contacts, authorised representatives, contribution/grant details, reporting information and records needed for contracts, receipts, audit and compliance.
• Photographs, video, audio and stories – only through the consent and safeguarding processes described below.
• Recruitment, internship and volunteer data – CVs, education/experience, portfolio, references, interview/assessment information and related correspondence.
• Correspondence and grievance data – enquiries, feedback, complaints, incident records and our responses.
• Website and technical data – IP address, device/browser information, referral source, pages viewed, cookies and similar usage data where enabled.

We seek to collect only data that is relevant and reasonably necessary. We ask individuals not to provide identity documents, bank information, health information or other sensitive records unless specifically requested through an authorised NBSF process.

4. How we collect personal data

• Directly from you through the website, programme applications, enrolment forms, surveys, counselling, events, payment/refund forms, recruitment or correspondence.
• From a parent or legal guardian where the participant is a minor.
• From schools, colleges, training partners, community teams, employers, assessment bodies, government/industry partners or funders where needed for an authorised programme and subject to appropriate notice/consent or other lawful basis.
• Automatically through website cookies, analytics and security logs where these tools are enabled.
• From publicly available sources for institutional partnership, employer, donor or stakeholder engagement where appropriate.

5. Why we use personal data

• To respond to enquiries and communicate about programmes, opportunities, partnerships and events.
• To assess eligibility, enrol learners, administer batches and provide learning, mentoring, assessment, certification support, internships/apprenticeships and placement assistance.
• To support learner safety, safeguarding, counselling and reasonable programme administration.
• To manage Community Contributions, issue receipts, process approved refunds and maintains finance/audit records.
• To connect learners with prospective employers or opportunity providers with the learner’s knowledge and as permitted by the relevant programme process.
• To monitor programme quality and outcomes through baseline/end-line assessments, surveys, follow-up and impact studies.
• To report to the Board, funders, partners, auditors, regulators and government authorities, using aggregated or anonymised data wherever this meets the purpose.
• To process recruitment, internship and volunteer applications.
• To maintain website, information-security and operational integrity.
• To comply with contractual, statutory, tax, audit, safeguarding and legal obligations.

The legal basis for processing depends on the context and the law in force. It may include consent, steps requested by the individual, contractual or programme administration needs, compliance with law, and other uses lawfully recognised from time to time. NBSF does not sell personal data and does not rent or trade contact lists.

6. Children and young people

Some NBSF programmes, particularly Skill in Village, work with children under 18. As an organisational safeguarding standard, NBSF seeks documented consent from a parent or legal guardian before collecting or publicly using identifiable personal data of a child, except where another lawful process clearly applies. We also seek age-appropriate assent and explain how information or media will be used wherever practical.

• We do not knowingly use children’s data for targeted advertising or commercial profiling.
• We do not undertake behavioural monitoring of children for advertising purposes.
• Access to children’s data is limited to authorised persons who need it for programme delivery, safeguarding, reporting or compliance.
• Identifiable photographs, videos or stories of children are used publicly only with appropriate consent and safeguarding review.
• Parents/guardians may request correction, withdrawal of consent or deletion where applicable, subject to legal, safeguarding, audit or programme-record obligations.

7. Community Contribution, payment and refund information

NBSF programmes may collect a Community Contribution from the learner/parent as a clearly disclosed programme contribution toward a portion of the total programme expenses. The contribution is intended to encourage shared ownership, seriousness, attendance and accountability, and is not designed to generate profit or represent the full cost of programme delivery. The remaining programme cost may be supported through CSR contributions, grants, donations, sponsorships, institutional or philanthropic support, partner contributions and other lawful sources. For privacy purposes, payment and refund information is used only for admission/enrolment administration, receipt issuance, refund processing, finance, compliance and audit.

Online payments, where enabled, are processed through authorised payment service providers. NBSF should not store complete card, bank-login or UPI credentials. For refunds, we may collect verified bank details and supporting records through authorised channels. The Student Refund & Withdrawal Policy governs refund eligibility for the programmes to which it applies.

8. Photographs, video and personal stories

We document programme activities to communicate learning, impact and partnership outcomes. We seek consent before using an identifiable person’s photograph, video, audio recording, quote or personal story in public communications. For a person under 18, we require appropriate parent/guardian consent and apply safeguarding standards.

Consent for public storytelling can be withdrawn by contacting us. We will stop new use and remove the material from channels under our control where reasonably possible, but we may not be able to recall material already printed, downloaded, reposted or distributed by third parties.

9. Who we may share information with

• IIT Hyderabad / Rural Development Center (RDC) and authorised institutional teams where necessary for programme administration, governance, approvals, reporting or institutional collaboration.
• Implementation, knowledge and training partners, including partner institutions involved in a specific programme, assessment or learner support process.
• Schools, colleges, community organisations and authorised field teams involved in delivery.
• Prospective employers, apprenticeship/internship providers and placement partners, where the learner has opted for such support and is informed of the sharing.
• CSR partners, grant makers, donors, auditors and monitoring/evaluation partners for due diligence, verification and reporting, using aggregated/anonymised data wherever sufficient.
• Service providers such as website hosting, cloud/email, forms, analytics, messaging, payment and IT-security providers that process information on our instructions or under their own applicable terms.
• Government authorities, regulators, courts, law-enforcement authorities or professional advisers where required or lawfully necessary.

We do not share personal data with another organisation for that organisation’s independent marketing unless the individual has separately agreed or the law otherwise permits it.

10. Cookies and website analytics

The website may use essential cookies for functionality and security, and analytics or embedded-content cookies to understand site use and improve performance. Non-essential cookies will be handled in accordance with applicable consent requirements.

Users can manage cookies through browser settings and, where a consent manager is deployed, through the website cookie controls. Disabling some cookies may affect functionality.

11. Retention of personal data

NBSF retains personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including programme, safeguarding, certification, placement, audit, funding and legal requirements. The following periods are proposed defaults and should be approved in the organisation’s Records Retention Schedule before publication:

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised. Aggregated or genuinely anonymised data that no longer identifies an individual may be retained for research, learning and impact reporting.

12. How we protect personal data

• Role-based access and least-privilege access to programme, finance, recruitment and safeguarding records.
• Official email, storage and collaboration accounts wherever possible, with credential-management and access-revocation practices.
• Secure website transmission (HTTPS/SSL), backups, patching, malware/security controls and controlled administrator access.
• Reasonable contractual/data-protection obligations for service providers and partners handling data on our behalf.
• Staff awareness, confidentiality expectations and escalation for suspected data incidents.
• Periodic review of data collection, retention and access.

No system is completely secure. If an incident occurs, NBSF will investigate, contain and document it and will make notifications to affected individuals or competent authorities where required by the law in force.

13. Your rights and choices

Subject to the law in force and the context of the request, you may ask NBSF to provide information about personal data we hold, correct or complete inaccurate data, erase data that we are not required to retain, withdraw consent, raise a grievance, or exercise other rights made available under applicable law. As the DPDP framework becomes fully effective, NBSF will implement the rights and grievance mechanisms required by it, including nomination where applicable.

Even where a particular statutory right is not yet in force, NBSF will endeavour to consider reasonable access, correction, erasure and consent-withdrawal requests where doing so is lawful, safe and practicable. Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing already lawfully carried out and may affect our ability to continue a programme or service where the information is essential to it.

14. Communications preferences

You may opt out of newsletters, appeals or non-essential updates by using the unsubscribe/opt-out mechanism provided or by contacting us. We may still send operational messages necessary to administer a programme, application, payment/refund, safeguarding matter or other existing relationship.

15. Data storage and international transfers

NBSF uses website, cloud, email and other technology providers. Data may be hosted or processed in India or other locations depending on the service provider. Where data is transferred outside India, NBSF will follow restrictions and safeguards required by applicable Indian law and will use reasonable contractual and security measures.

For privacy questions, correction/erasure requests, consent withdrawal or complaints, please contact:

Where the law provides a right to escalate a matter to a regulator or statutory authority, details will be provided or updated as applicable.

17. Other websites and third-party services

Our website may link to external sites or services operated by partners, employers, government bodies, payment providers or other organisations. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. NBSF is not responsible for a third-party site that it does not own or control.

18. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy when our programmes, systems, partners or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on nbvskilling.org with the last-updated date. Where a material change requires fresh notice or consent, we will take reasonable steps to provide it.

19. Contact us

NBV Skilling Foundation (Public Brand: Next Bharat Skilling Foundation)

An Initiative of IIT Hyderabad | Rural Development Center (RDC)

Operational office: TIP 2 Floor, 2H2, IIT Hyderabad Campus, Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana – 502285

Registered office: TIP 2 Floor, 2H2, IIT Hyderabad Campus, Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana – 502285

Email: coo@nbvskilling.rdc.iith.ac.in  | office@nbvskilling.rdc.iith.ac.in  | Website: nbvskilling.org