1. Who we are
Valmiki Rishtey ("we", "us", "the platform") is operated by Balmiki Samaj Utthan Seva Samiti, Ramnagar, Distt. Anuppur (M.P.), a non-profit community organisation. The platform is built to help members of the Valmiki samaj find suitable life partners and stay connected with the community.
2. Information we collect
When you create an account and use the platform, we collect the following information directly from you:
- Account details — name, email, phone number, password (stored hashed).
- Matrimonial profile — date of birth, gender, city, state, education, occupation, height, family details (father/mother name, gotra, native place, family type), about-yourself bio.
- Photo — your profile photo, uploaded and cropped by you.
- KYC documents — your UIDAI Aadhaar PDF and an optional selfie, stored privately. The PDF is stored as-is in its UIDAI-encrypted form. We never ask for, and never store, the Aadhaar password.
- Activity — interests sent and received, saved profiles, messages exchanged with matches, and the IP address + browser of your visits (for security and audit).
3. How we use it
Your information is used only to (a) help you find a suitable match within the Valmiki samaj, (b) keep the platform secure and free of fake accounts, and (c) let admins and community volunteers verify members. We do not use your data for advertising and we do not sell, rent or share it with any third party.
4. Who can see what
Your name, age, city, education, occupation and about-yourself bio are visible to other logged-in members who view your approved profile. Your photo is shown only if you have toggled "show photo" on. Your phone number and email stay hidden by default and only become visible to a match if both sides accept an interest. Your KYC documents are visible only to admins and volunteers during verification — never to other members.
5. Aadhaar password
The Aadhaar PDF you upload is locked by a password set by UIDAI. We do not ask for that password on the website or over phone/SMS, and we do not store it anywhere on our servers. During the in-person verification visit you share the password directly with the community volunteer or admin, who opens the PDF on their own device to confirm your identity.
6. Cookies & sessions
We use a strictly necessary session cookie to keep you logged in and a CSRF token to protect form submissions. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
7. Data retention & deletion
Your profile remains active until you delete your account. When you delete your account from the Account Settings page, your profile, photo, interests, saved list and messages are removed. Audit-log entries and KYC records may be retained for a limited period to comply with community safety and legal requirements.
8. Security
Passwords are hashed using bcrypt. KYC documents are stored on the private disk outside the public web root. Optional Google Authenticator-based 2-factor authentication is available for every account. We strongly recommend enabling it.
9. Age requirement
The platform is meant for members of the Valmiki samaj aged 18 years or above. We do not knowingly allow registrations from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, please report the profile so an admin can remove it.
10. Your rights
You can view, edit and download your profile data at any time from the Account Settings and Profile pages. To request data correction, deletion, or any privacy-related question, write to us at dheernahar@gmail.com or use the Contact form.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the platform or in applicable law. Material changes will be announced on the dashboard and via in-app notifications.