Privacy policy

Last updated: October 2026

This policy explains what personal data UPSCPrep.in (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects when you use https://upscprep.in (the “Site”), why we collect it, how long we keep it and the choices you have. It is written to comply with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”), as applicable. By using the Site you agree to the practices described here.

1. Data we collect

  • Account data: your name, email address and a securely hashed password when you register. Optionally, your target exam year.
  • Learning data: lessons completed, test attempts and scores, bookmarks, and subject-wise accuracy shown in your dashboard.
  • Payment data: plan purchased, amount, date, order and transaction IDs and payment status. Card, UPI, net-banking and wallet details are entered directly on our payment gateway’s secure page and are never stored on our servers.
  • Content you submit: forum posts and replies, and error reports (including the page address and, if you choose to give it, your email).
  • Technical data: IP address, browser and device type, pages visited and timestamps, collected in server logs for security and to keep the Site working.

2. Why we use it

  • To create and manage your account and give you access to the content and plans you have chosen.
  • To process payments, issue invoices, handle refunds and meet tax and accounting obligations.
  • To show your progress, recommend weak areas and improve our courses and tests.
  • To review and act on error reports and to moderate the forum.
  • To send essential service emails such as password resets and payment receipts. We do not send marketing emails without your consent, and every such email will have an unsubscribe option.
  • To prevent fraud, spam and misuse, and to comply with law.

We process your data on the basis of your consent and for the legitimate uses permitted under the DPDP Act, such as providing a service you have asked for and complying with law.

3. Cookies and advertising

We use a small number of essential cookies to keep you signed in, protect forms against misuse (CSRF protection) and remember your cookie choice. These cannot be switched off because the Site will not work without them.

Some free pages may show advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies or similar technologies to show ads based on your visits to this and other websites. Where personalised ads are enabled, we ask for your consent through a cookie banner first, and you can decline non-essential cookies. You can manage Google ad personalisation at adssettings.google.com and learn how Google uses data at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Paid members may see fewer or no ads.

First-party analytics (privacy-friendly). We count visits on UPSCPrep.in ourselves, so we can see which pages are used and where traffic comes from. We do not store your IP address: a code that changes every day is used instead, and it cannot be used to follow you across days. A small first-party cookie (sa_rv, kept for up to 13 months) only records whether you have visited before. We do not sell this data or share it with advertising networks. Logged-in staff and obvious bots are not counted as visits.

Google Analytics (optional, only with your consent). If analytics is switched on, we use Google Analytics 4 (and, where configured, Google Tag Manager) to understand how the Site is used, for example which pages are visited and roughly from which country. These cookies (such as _ga and _ga_*, kept for up to 2 years) are set only after you click “Accept” on the cookie banner; until then Google consent mode keeps analytics storage denied and no analytics script is loaded. IP addresses are not stored by Google Analytics 4. Analytics is never loaded in the admin area.

How to opt out: click “Reject” on the banner, or use the Cookie settings link at the bottom of any page to change your choice at any time (this clears the stored choice and shows the banner again). You can also delete cookies in your browser or install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

4. Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with service providers who help us run the Site, and only as much as they need:

  • Payment gateways authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (such as Razorpay or PayU) to process payments and refunds.
  • Hosting, email and backup providers that store and deliver the Site.
  • Google for advertising and basic analytics, where enabled.
  • Government or law-enforcement authorities when required by a valid legal order or applicable law.

5. Public content

Forum posts and your display name are visible to other users. Please do not post phone numbers, addresses or other personal details in the forum.

6. How long we keep data

We keep account and learning data while your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except payment and invoice records, which we must keep for the period required by Indian tax and accounting laws (normally up to 8 years). Server logs are kept for a limited period for security.

7. Security

We use HTTPS encryption, hashed passwords, access controls on the admin area and regular backups. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong, unique password and keep it private. If a personal data breach occurs that affects you, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.

8. Your rights

Under the DPDP Act you may ask to access a summary of your personal data, correct or update it, have it erased, withdraw consent, and nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity. You can update your name, password and target year from your dashboard. For other requests, email us from your registered address. We will respond within a reasonable time and in any case within the period required by law.

9. Children

The Site is meant for users aged 18 and above. If you are under 18, please use the Site only with the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian, who may contact us about the child’s data.

10. Grievance Officer

In line with the IT Act, 2000 and the rules made under it, complaints about the processing of your data can be sent to our Grievance Officer at support@upscprep.in with the subject “Grievance”. We will acknowledge within 48 hours and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “last updated” date above shows the latest version. Significant changes will be announced on the Site.