Data Protection & Grievance Officer

1. Purpose of This Page

Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Arts and Science ("JNIAS", "the Institute", "we", "us" or "our") is committed to handling your personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.

This page tells you who to contact about your personal data or our website, what you can raise with us, how we will deal with your request or complaint, and where you can go if you are not satisfied. It is published in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (the "DPDP Act"), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the rules made under them.

It should be read with our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Cookie Policy.

2. Our Data Protection Officer / Grievance Officer

The Institute has designated the following person as its Data Protection Officer and Grievance Officer (the "Officer"), who is able to answer questions on behalf of the Institute about the processing of personal data and who receives and resolves complaints.

For general queries that do not concern personal data, please write to info@jnias.com or call 04868 236999.

3. Role and Responsibilities of the Officer

The Officer is responsible for:

• Acting as the Institute's point of contact for Data Principals, the Data Protection Board of India, and regulators on matters of personal data;
• Receiving, acknowledging, and resolving requests to access, correct, complete, or erase personal data, and requests to withdraw consent;
• Receiving and resolving grievances about how the Institute collects, uses, shares, stores, or protects personal data;
• Receiving complaints about content on the website under the Information Technology Act, 2000;
• Guiding staff and Data Processors on lawful handling of personal data;
• Overseeing the Institute's response to any personal data breach; and
• Keeping records of requests and grievances and how they were resolved.

The Officer acts independently in resolving grievances and reports to the Principal and the management of the Institute.

4. What You Can Contact Us About

You can write to the Officer if you want to:

• Know what personal data we hold about you and how we use it;
• Correct inaccurate or misleading data, or complete incomplete data;
• Ask us to erase your personal data;
• Withdraw a consent you gave, including consent to cookies or communications;
• Nominate another person to exercise your rights on your behalf in case of your death or incapacity;
• Raise a concern or complaint about how your data has been handled;
• Report a suspected misuse of your data, an unauthorised disclosure, or a security problem on the website;
• Complain about content on the website that you believe is unlawful or infringes your rights; or
• Ask any question about the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, or Cookie Policy.

What this page is not for. Academic matters, examinations, fees, ragging, harassment, and other student or staff grievances are handled by the Institute's relevant committees, such as the Grievance Redressal Committee, the Internal Compliance Cell, and the Anti-Ragging Committee, whose details are available under Associations & Clubs on the website. If you are not sure where your concern belongs, contact us and we will direct it to the right place.

5. How to Make a Request or Complaint

You may use any of the following:

• My Privacy account (preferred). Sign in to My Privacy to raise a request, track its progress, and download your data. This is the quickest way, and your identity is already verified.
• Email. Write to the Officer at the email address in Section 2.
• Post or in person. Send a written request to the postal address in Section 2, or hand it in at the Institute's office during office hours.
• Telephone. You may call the Officer during office hours to ask a question or tell us you intend to send a request. Please follow up in writing so we have a record.

What to include. To help us deal with your request quickly, please tell us:

• Your full name and the email address or mobile number you used with us;
• Your reference number, if you have one (for example, from an enquiry or application);
• Whether you are the person the data relates to, or a parent, guardian, or nominee acting for them;
• What you are asking for, and the details or documents involved; and
• The best way to reach you.

There is no fee for ordinary requests and complaints. You do not need a lawyer or any special form.

6. Verifying Your Identity

To protect your data from being disclosed to the wrong person, we will verify your identity before acting on a request. Requests made through the My Privacy account are verified through your email address and one-time code.

For other requests, we may ask you for limited proof that is reasonably necessary, such as confirming details of your enquiry. We will not ask for more information than we need.

If you act for a child, we will verify that you are the child's parent or lawful guardian. If you act for a person with a disability who has a lawful guardian, or as a nominee, we may ask for proof of authority.

7. How We Will Deal With Your Request or Complaint

We follow these steps and timelines:

You can track the progress of your request in your My Privacy account or by quoting your reference number to the Officer.

If we cannot do what you ask. We may decline a request where the law requires or permits us to keep the data (for example, for admission records, audit, or a legal claim), where it is repetitive or impossible to carry out, or where it would harm another person's rights. We will always explain our reasons in writing.

Erasure and withdrawal of consent. Where we erase data or you withdraw consent, we will also ask our Data Processors to stop processing and to erase the data, unless retention is required by law.

8. If You Are Not Satisfied: Escalation

1. Officer. Please first raise your concern with the Officer, as described above.
2. Principal. If you are not satisfied with the response, or you have received no response within the time stated, you may write to the Principal of the Institute at the postal address above, quoting your reference number. [The Principal will review the matter and reply within [15] days.]
3. Data Protection Board of India. If the matter remains unresolved, or you believe a personal data breach or a breach of the Institute's duties under the DPDP Act has occurred, you may file a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India, as provided under the DPDP Act. Under the Act, you are expected to use our grievance process before approaching the Board.

Nothing in this page limits your right to approach any court, tribunal, or authority under Applicable Law.

9. Reporting a Personal Data Breach or Security Concern

If you believe your personal data has been lost, leaked, accessed, or misused without authority, or you have found a security weakness in our website, please contact the Officer immediately, using "Urgent: Data Security" in the subject line, and give as much detail as you can.

We will review reports promptly. If a personal data breach has occurred, we will inform the Data Protection Board of India and each affected person in the manner and within the time required by law.

Please do not access, download, or share data that is not yours, and do not test the website's security without written permission. We will handle good-faith reports in a fair and responsible manner.

10. Complaints Involving Children

Where a complaint concerns a child's personal data, it should be made by the child's parent or lawful guardian. We give such complaints priority. If you believe a child's data has been collected without verifiable parental consent, please tell the Officer and we will take appropriate action, including erasure.

11. Complaints About Website Content

If you believe that any content on the website is unlawful, defamatory, infringes your copyright or other rights, or violates your privacy, please write to the Officer with:

• Your name and contact details;
• The exact page or web address where the content appears;
• A description of the content and why you object to it; and
• Proof of your ownership or rights, where relevant, and a statement that your complaint is made in good faith.

We will acknowledge your complaint and review it promptly, and take appropriate action in line with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its rules.

12. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

We will treat your request or complaint, and the details in it, as confidential, and share them only with those who need them to resolve it or where the law requires.

No one will be treated unfairly for making a good-faith request or complaint. The Institute does not tolerate retaliation against anyone who exercises their rights.

Please give accurate information and do not make false or frivolous complaints. The DPDP Act places this duty on every Data Principal.

13. Related Policies and Pages

• Privacy Policy: how we collect, use, share, and protect personal data, and your rights;
• Cookie Policy and Consent Preferences: how we use cookies and how to change your choices;
• My Privacy: your account to view data, manage consent, and track requests;
• Privacy Requests and Privacy Support: to submit and follow up on requests;
• Terms of Use: the rules for using the website; and
• Disclaimer and Admissions FAQ: general information and common questions.

14. Changes to This Page

We will update this page whenever the Officer's details or our process changes. The "Last Updated" date shows the latest version. Where the Officer changes, we will update the contact details promptly so that you always have a working point of contact.