Privacy Policy

The Trivandrum Medical College Alumni Association ("the Association", "we", "us") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect through [www.websiteaddress.org] ("the Website"), why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the rights you have. We process personal data in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

For the purposes of these laws, the Association is the Data Fiduciary for personal data collected through the Website.

1. What we collect

Information you give us

  1. Registration and membership: name, gender, date of birth, photograph, email address, mobile number, postal address, course (MBBS, MD, MS, BDS, nursing, etc.), batch and year of graduation, and proof of alumni status.

  2. Professional details (optional): current designation, specialty, workplace, city and country, and medical council registration number if you choose to provide it for verification.

  3. Payments and donations: name, contact details, amount, transaction reference, and PAN where required for a tax receipt. Card, UPI and bank details are collected and processed by [payment gateway name], not by us.

  4. Events: registration details, and dietary or accessibility requirements you choose to share.

  5. Communications: messages you send us, and content you post on the Website.

Information collected automatically

  1. IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, and date and time of visits, through server logs and cookies (see section 8).

We do not ask for, and you should not upload, any patient data.

2. Why we use it

We use your personal data only for these purposes:

  1. to verify alumni status and manage your membership and account;

  2. to run the members-only alumni directory, so that alumni can reconnect with each other;

  3. to send you Association news, event invitations, newsletters and reunion updates;

  4. to process fees, donations and event registrations, and to issue receipts;

  5. to organise events, continuing medical education programmes and welfare activities;

  6. to keep the Website secure, prevent misuse, and improve how it works;

  7. to meet legal, tax and accounting obligations.

3. Legal basis and consent

  1. We process your personal data on the basis of the consent you give when you register, pay, donate or sign up for an event. Each consent request will tell you what data is collected and why.

  2. Some processing is allowed without separate consent where the law permits it, such as keeping accounting records or responding to a lawful request from a government authority.

  3. You may withdraw your consent at any time by updating your account settings or emailing [email]. Withdrawal is as easy as giving consent. It does not affect processing done before withdrawal, but we may no longer be able to provide some services, such as directory listing or member access.

  4. You can unsubscribe from newsletters and event emails at any time using the link in each email.

4. The alumni directory

  1. The directory is visible only to logged-in, verified members.

  2. By default, it shows your name, batch, course, specialty and city. Your email, phone number and address are shown only if you choose to show them.

  3. You can change what is shown, or hide your profile entirely, from your account settings at any time.

  4. Members may use directory details only for personal alumni networking, as set out in our Terms and Conditions.

5. Who we share it with

We do not sell or rent your personal data. We share it only as follows:

  1. Service providers who act on our instructions, such as our website host, email service provider and payment gateway. They may use the data only to provide their service to us and must protect it.

  2. Office bearers and event committees of the Association, to the extent needed for their duties.

  3. Government authorities, courts or law enforcement where required by law.

  4. Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, only for verifying alumni status or for a joint programme you have registered for, and only with your consent.

Some service providers may store data on servers outside India. Any such transfer will comply with restrictions notified by the Government of India.

6. How long we keep it

  1. We keep your membership data for as long as you are a member and for [one year] after you close your account, after which it is erased unless the law requires us to keep it.

  2. Payment and donation records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws, currently up to [eight] years.

  3. Server logs and related traffic data are kept for at least one year, as required by law, and then deleted.

  4. Before erasing data because you have been inactive, we will notify you at least 48 hours in advance where the law requires it.

7. How we protect it

We use reasonable security safeguards, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections, password-protected and role-based access for office bearers, access logs, and regular backups. No website is completely secure, so please keep your password safe.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will inform affected users and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law, describing what happened, its likely impact and the steps we are taking.

8. Cookies

The Website uses essential cookies to keep you logged in and to keep the site secure. [We also use analytics cookies, such as Google Analytics, to understand how the site is used. You can decline analytics cookies through the cookie banner or your browser settings.] Blocking essential cookies may stop some features from working.

9. Your rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to:

  1. obtain a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we process it, and the identities of those we have shared it with;

  2. correct, complete or update inaccurate or incomplete data;

  3. ask us to erase your data, unless we must keep it by law;

  4. withdraw your consent at any time;

  5. have your grievances redressed;

  6. nominate another person to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity.

To exercise any right, log in and use your account settings, or email [email] from your registered email address. We may need to verify your identity. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Children

The Website is meant for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If a child's data is needed, for example for a family event, we will first obtain verifiable consent from a parent or guardian.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted here with a new "Last updated" date, and we will email registered members about significant changes.

12. Grievance Officer and contact

For questions, requests or complaints about your personal data, contact:

[Name], Grievance Officer / Data Protection Contact

Trivandrum Medical College Alumni Association

[Address], Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Email: [email] · Phone: [phone]

We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours and aim to resolve it within 15 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.