Privacy Policy

Who we are

Shastra Digest is published by Uccult Publishing House, a unit of Uccult Media Tech Private Limited ("we", "us"), based in Delhi, India. The service is available worldwide. For anything in this policy, write to info@shastradigest.com.

What we collect

Account data: your email address and password (stored as a secure hash by our authentication provider) when you create an account.

Reading data: which essays you open under the metered free allowance, essays you save to your Sanctuary, and subscriber notes you post.

Newsletter data: your email address and subscription status if you subscribe to the digest.

Support data: the messages, email address, and topic you provide when you write to support.

Creator data: the profile, application, and essays you submit if you join the contributor programme.

Payment data: when paid memberships open, payments are processed by Razorpay. We never see or store your card, UPI, or bank details - we store only your subscription status, plan, and billing period.

What we do not do

We do not sell or rent your personal data. We do not run third-party advertising or advertising trackers. Our own site measurement (self-hosted Umami) is anonymous and cookie-free. Optional Google Analytics runs only if you accept it in the consent banner.

Where your data lives

Data is stored with vetted infrastructure processors: Supabase (database and authentication), Oracle Cloud (application hosting, Mumbai region), Brevo (transactional and newsletter email), and Razorpay (payment processing, when active). Each processes data only on our instructions.

Cookies

Strictly necessary cookies: your sign-in session, your light/dark theme preference, and your consent choice itself. Optional analytics cookies (Google Analytics, via Google Tag Manager) are set only after you choose Accept in the consent banner; declining changes nothing about how the site works. Our self-hosted Umami measurement uses no cookies and stores no identifier. There are no advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

Your rights

You may request a copy of your data, correct it, or ask for your account and its data to be deleted at any time by writing to info@shastradigest.com from your account email. We honour applicable data-protection law, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act and, for readers elsewhere, the rights granted by your local law (such as the GDPR for readers in the EU/EEA).

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link in every email or the unsubscribe page.

Retention

Account and membership records are kept while your account is active. Support tickets are retained so we can serve you across conversations. Uptime and operational logs are pruned automatically. When you delete your account, personal data is removed or irreversibly anonymised except where law requires retention (for example, tax records for payments).

Consent and how to withdraw it

We process your data on the basis of the consent you give when you create an account, subscribe to the newsletter, write to support, or apply to the contributor programme. Each of those actions states what it signs you up for at the point you take it.

Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it: unsubscribe from the newsletter with one click in any email, close your account or request deletion by writing to info@shastradigest.com, and stop any specific processing by telling us the same way. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing already done.

Strictly necessary cookies (sign-in session, theme preference, consent choice) need no consent. Google Analytics is optional: the consent banner asks first, the default is off, and you can change your mind by clearing the sd_consent cookie. Anonymous, cookie-free Umami measurement runs on our own server and never identifies you.

Grievance Officer

The designated Grievance Officer for Uccult Publishing House, a unit of Uccult Media Tech Private Limited can be reached at info@shastradigest.com with the subject line "Grievance". Data-protection complaints are acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within 30 days, per the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India.

Children

Shastra Digest is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data.

Changes

If this policy changes materially, we will note it here and, for significant changes affecting account holders, notify you by email. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Uccult Publishing House, a unit of Uccult Media Tech Private Limited, Delhi, India. Email: info@shastradigest.com, or use the support form.