Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Tamil Nadu Public Distribution System (https://tnpds.gov.in) is developed and maintained by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) which reserves the right to share the information collected hereunder with its own affiliates. This Policy has been drafted in accordance with the applicable data protection laws, rules, and regulations that govern any User in India.

We are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of its users and have taken all necessary and reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of the user information. We will not be held liable for disclosure of the Confidential Information if such disclosure is in accordance with this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service. (“Confidential Information” shall mean and include all information, documents, and materials whether written or otherwise in any other explicit form, that is disclosed by you or uploaded on the Application, irrespective of the form of communication.)

2. Content Policy

2.1 Non – Personal Information

We may collect information from the registered user such information may involve logging the IP address, operating system, and browser software used by each user of the Platform. Although such information may not be considered Personally Identifiable Information, based on local laws, we may be able to determine a user’s Internet Service Provider and the geographic location of his or her point of connectivity from an IP address. This information allows us to continuously improve our Platform and services.

2.2 Personally Identifiable Information

2.2.1 We collect information that may include, your name, address, email address, contact number, family information, login credentials (in the case of registered users), salary information, supporting documents, and photographs. We collect demographic information such as your gender, socio-economic status, and other similar personal information. Other than this, we do not collect any of your financial information. The above-mentioned information collected by us will be termed as “Sensitive Personal Data” or “SPD” of the User. The User understands and agrees that the sharing of personal data is entirely voluntary and optional and shall be provided only if you require our services.

2.2.2 Subject to Clause 3.2.1, if you choose to upload Sensitive Personal Data, you as a registered user of the Application with a User Account shall have the right to:

• access and review your SPD;
• have your SPD corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete at any time;
• request the deletion or removal of your SPD at any time;

2.2.3 TNPDS does not automatically capture any specific personal information from you, (like name, phone number, or e-mail address), that allows us to identify you individually.

2.2.4 We do not sell or share any personally identifiable information which has been received via the TNPDS website with any third party (public/private). Any information provided to this Portal will be protected from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

2.2.5 We gather certain information from the Registered User, such as Internet protocol (IP) addresses, domain name, browser type, operating system, the date and time of the visit, and the pages visited. We don’t try to make any attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

2.3 Hyperlinking policy

At some places on this website, you may find weblinks to other websites/portals. These links have been placed for your convenience to connect with related Departments/Parent Organizations. TNPDS is not responsible for the contents and reliability of the linked websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in them or on websites reachable through their published weblinks. The mere presence of the link or its listing on this website should not be assumed as an endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work at all times and we have no control over the availability / non-availability of these linked pages.

2.4 Website Content Policy

2.4.1 Content Publishing

The content to be published on the website is contributed by the Web Page Creator/Moderator in a consistent fashion to maintain uniformity and to bring in standardization. In order to present the content as per the requirement of the viewer, the content is categorized and to retrieve the relevant content efficiently, and the content is contributed to the website through a Content Management System which would be web-based having a user-friendly interface.

Once the content is contributed it is approved and moderated prior to being published on the Website. The moderation could be multilevel and role-based. If the content is rejected at any level then it is reverted back to the originator of the content for modification

2.4.2 Content Review & Approval

All possible efforts need to be taken to keep the content on the Website current and up-to-date. This Content Review Policy defines the roles and responsibilities of the website content review and the manner in which it needs to be carried out. Review Policies are defined for the diverse content elements.

The Review Policy is based on the different types of content elements, their validity, and relevance as well as the archival policy. Gives below the essential Content Review Policy for TNPDS’s website:

• The entire website content would be reviewed for syntax checks once a quarter by the TNPDS’s website team.
• Data pertaining to major events like Counselling etc. would be updated as and when such event takes place.

3. Third-Party Ads

We didn’t allow any third-party companies, including advertising companies (such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Quora, and Bing) on our website.

4. Automatically Collected Information

The data listed below have been collected through the use of server log files and tracking technologies. It is stored by us and associated with your account.

• System Data: Data about your device, IP address, device type, operating system type and version, browser, language, and other system data.
• User Data: User statistics about your interactions with the Services, including courses, time spent on pages, pages visited, features used, your search queries, click data, date and time, referrer, and other data regarding your use of the application.
• Geo Data: Geographic location of the device, including information like country, city, and geo-coordinates based on your IP address.

5. Data Security

We take required security practices to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction of your personal data that we had collected and stored. These measures vary based on the type and sensitivity of the data. Unfortunately, however, no system can be 100% secured, so we cannot guarantee that communications between us, the Services, or any information provided to us in connection with the data we collect through the Services will be free from unauthorized access by third parties.

Anyhow, the application will prompt the users of the application for a username and password prior to allowing any changes to be made. The username and password shall be unique to each authorized user. The Login can be done by inputting a security code which will be generated randomly. The application will be implemented with an SSL certificate for higher security. OTP authorization will be given for approval of transactions to avoid misuse of user ids.

• The Web application is implemented as highly secure, considering that it is intended to handle sensitive information relating to the citizens of the state. The overarching security considerations are described below.
• The security services used to protect the solution have included: Identification, Authentication, Access Control, Administration & Audit, and support for industry-standard protocols.
• The required mechanisms, protocols, and algorithms necessary to protect sensitive and confirmation data and information both during communication and storage has be implemented.

6. Data Retaining

We may alter this practice according to legal and business requirements. For example, we may lengthen the retention period for some data if needed to comply with law or voluntary codes of conduct. Unless otherwise prohibited, we may shorten the retention period for some types of data if needed to free up storage space.

7. Website Monitoring Policy

Under the Website Monitoring Policy, the website is to be periodically monitored for addressing the issues of fixing bugs and correcting the incorrect information and for maintaining the quality, and resolving the compatibility issues pertaining to the following parameters:

• Performance: All important pages of the website are tested for download time.
• Broken Links: The website is thoroughly reviewed to rule out the presence of any broken links or errors.
• The Hosting Service Provider possesses a state-of-the-art multi-tier security infrastructure as well as devices such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.

8. Contingency

Owing to the requirement of the presence of the website on the Internet it is very important that the site remains fully functional all the time. It is expected of the Government websites to deliver information and services on a 24X7 basis. Hence, all efforts should be made by the Web Information Leader of IN Website to minimize the downtime of the website to the extent possible.

9. Consumer Consent

By registering with us, you are expressly consenting to our collection, processing, storing, disclosing, and handling of your information as set forth in this Policy now and as amended by us. Processing, your information in any way, including, but not limited to, collecting, storing, deleting, using, combining, sharing, transferring, and disclosing information.