Privacy Policy

Introduction

The Office of the Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu ("we", "us", or "our") operates this official website at https://vijayinstitute.live/ (the "Portal"). We are deeply committed to protecting the privacy of every citizen who visits or uses this Portal.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Portal or submit applications for government schemes and financial assistance. Please read this policy carefully. By accessing the Portal, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described herein.

Information We Collect

We collect information you voluntarily provide and information automatically gathered when you use the Portal.

A. Information You Provide Directly

B. Information Collected Automatically

• IP Address — recorded at the time of application submission for fraud prevention.
• Browser & Device Info — type of browser, operating system, screen resolution.
• Usage Data — pages visited, time spent, links clicked (via analytics).
• Cookies — session and preference cookies (see Cookies section below).

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect strictly for the following purposes:

• Scheme Processing: To review, verify, and process your applications for government welfare schemes and financial aid.
• Communication: To send application status updates, notifications, and responses to your queries via SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
• Verification: To verify your identity and eligibility using Aadhaar-based authentication in compliance with UIDAI guidelines.
• Fraud Prevention: To detect, prevent, and investigate fraudulent, unauthorized, or illegal activity on the Portal.
• Portal Improvement: To understand how citizens use the Portal and improve its features and accessibility.
• Legal Compliance: To meet our obligations under applicable Indian laws, regulations, and government directives.
• Internal Administration: To maintain accurate records for government audit, accountability, and transparency purposes.

Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, rent, or lease your personal information to any third party. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Government Departments: With the concerned Tamil Nadu state government departments (e.g., Finance Department, Social Welfare Department) for scheme processing and benefit disbursement.
• UIDAI / Aadhaar: Your Aadhaar number is verified via UIDAI's official authentication API. We do not store the raw Aadhaar number after verification.
• Banking Partners: Bank account details are shared exclusively with authorized banking institutions for direct benefit transfer (DBT) processing.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or directive from a competent government authority.
• Fraud Investigation: With law enforcement agencies if there is credible evidence of fraud, misuse, or criminal activity.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against accidental loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In case of a security breach, we will notify affected users as per applicable laws.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

This Portal uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and gather analytical data about Portal usage.

Types of Cookies We Use

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of this Portal. We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.

Your Rights

As a citizen whose data we process, you have the following rights under applicable Indian data protection laws:

• Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: Subject to legal and administrative obligations, you may request deletion of your personal data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time (without affecting prior processing).
• Right to Complaint: You may lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact section below. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or government reporting requirements.

• Application data — retained for a minimum of 7 years after scheme closure for audit and accountability purposes.
• Contact form messages — retained for 2 years or until the matter is resolved, whichever is later.
• Website analytics — aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely; individual session data is deleted after 26 months.
• Rejected applications — retained for 3 years for appeal and grievance redressal purposes.

Children's Privacy

This Portal is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 years of age. All scheme applications must be submitted by an adult (18 years or older) on behalf of themselves or their household.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 18 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as soon as possible. If you believe we may have any information from or about a child, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in law, our practices, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised policy on this Portal.

We will notify users of material changes by prominently posting a notice on the Portal homepage for at least 30 days before the changes take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects when this policy was most recently revised. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.