Privacy policy
Last updated [DATE]. This explains what we collect, why, and what you can ask us to do about it.
Kathaparva is operated by [LEGAL ENTITY NAME], [ADDRESS], Hyderabad, Telangana, India, which is the data fiduciary for the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
What we collect
| Account details | Your name, pen name, email address and phone number, and a hashed version of your password. We never store your password itself. |
|---|---|
| Your writing | Stories, summaries and files you upload, including drafts you have not published. |
| Payment records | The amount, date, a Razorpay reference and whether it succeeded. We never see or store your card, UPI or bank details — those go directly to Razorpay. |
| Technical data | Server logs containing your IP address, browser and the pages you requested, kept for security and troubleshooting. |
Why we collect it
- To run your account and let you write and publish
- To take payment for a contest entry and to process refunds
- To administer contests and contact you about your entry
- To publish your story with your name or pen name, if selected
- To keep records Indian tax and accounting law requires us to keep
- To protect the site against abuse
We do not sell your personal data. We do not use it to train AI models. We do not show advertising.
What is public
If your story is published, the story, its title and summary, and the name or pen name you chose are visible to anyone. Your email address, phone number and unpublished drafts are never public.
Use a pen name if you would rather not publish under your own.
Who else sees it
- Razorpay — processes payments and receives what it needs to do so, under its own privacy policy
- Amazon Web Services — hosts the site on servers in Mumbai, India. Your data does not leave India for hosting purposes.
- Contest judges — read entries, ordinarily without seeing your name
- Authorities — where the law requires it
How long we keep it
| Account and stories | Until you ask us to delete them |
|---|---|
| Payment records | 8 years, as Indian tax law requires |
| Server logs | 90 days |
Your rights
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you may ask us to:
- Tell you what data we hold about you
- Correct anything that is wrong
- Delete your account and your data
- Withdraw consent you have given
- Nominate someone to exercise these rights if you die or become incapacitated
Write to privacy@kathaparva.com. We respond within 30 days.
Deleting your account removes your stories from public view. We must keep payment records for the period above, and a published prize-winning entry may stay listed in the contest results.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS. Passwords are hashed. The database is backed up nightly. No system is perfectly secure, and we will tell you and the Data Protection Board without undue delay if a breach affects your data.
Children
Kathaparva is not for under-18s, and contest entry is limited to adults. We do not knowingly collect data about children. If you believe we have, write to us and we will delete it.
Cookies
We use one cookie, to keep you logged in. It is not used for tracking or advertising, and there are no third-party analytics or advertising cookies on this site.
Grievance officer
[GRIEVANCE OFFICER NAME]
[LEGAL ENTITY NAME]
[ADDRESS], Hyderabad, Telangana [PIN]
privacy@kathaparva.com
[PHONE NUMBER]
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
Changes
We will post any change here and update the date at the top. Material changes will be emailed to account holders.