Privacy Policy

Introduction

For repeal of The Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (referred to as the BT Act/BTMC Act), we are committed to protecting your privacy while advancing our global campaign. This global petition is organized in collaboration with various organizations, with the primary initiation by The Buddhist Society of India, founded by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, to restore Buddhist management of the sacred Mahabodhi Temple. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you interact with our website, sign our petition, or engage with our services. We adhere to applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

By using our website or signing the petition, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you have any questions, please contact us at privacy@dhammadiksha.com.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Personal Information: When you sign the petition via our form (powered by FluentForm), we may collect your name, country, email address, and any other information you voluntarily provide.
• Consent Information: If you opt to have your name displayed publicly in our social proof notifications (e.g., “Arjun from India just signed!”), we collect your explicit consent through a checkbox in the petition form.
• Usage Data: We may collect non-personal information about your interactions with our website, such as your IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited, through cookies or analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Third-Party Services: Our website uses Google Translate for language accessibility. Google may collect data as per its Privacy Policy.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Process and record your petition signature to support the campaign to repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (BT Act/BTMC Act).
• Display your name and country in social proof notifications (only with your explicit consent).
• Send you updates about the campaign, if you opt in to receive communications.
• Improve our website’s functionality and user experience through analytics.
• Comply with legal obligations, such as responding to data access requests.

3. Consent for Public Display

If you choose to have your name and country displayed in our social proof pop-up notifications, you will be asked to provide explicit consent via a checkbox in the petition form (e.g., “I agree to have my name displayed publicly”). You can sign the petition without consenting to public display, and your choice will not affect your ability to participate in the campaign.

If you do not consent, your information will remain private and used only for petition purposes. You can withdraw consent at any time by contacting us (see Section 8).

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share your information with:

• Service Providers: Third-party tools like FluentForm (for form processing) and Google Translate (for language accessibility) may process your data as per their privacy policies.
• Legal Authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights, we may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations.
• Campaign Partners: With your consent, we may share anonymized or aggregated data (e.g., total signatures) with partners to advance the campaign.

5. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Opt-Out: Opt out of public display of your name or campaign communications at any time.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format (GDPR).
• Non-Discrimination: Your choice to exercise these rights will not affect your ability to sign the petition (CCPA).

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@dhammadiksha.com. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by law).

6. Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures, such as encryption and secure servers, to protect your personal information. However, no online system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs, we will notify affected users as required by law.

7. Our Funding Model

This campaign is run entirely for free, driven by our dedication to the cause. To ensure the campaign runs efficiently and to cover essential operational costs such as developer fees, running costs, hosting, and other working expenses, this website is supported by advertisements.

If you encounter an advertisement that you find relevant or interesting, we kindly ask you to consider clicking on it. Your clicks directly contribute to covering these necessary expenditures, allowing us to maintain and enhance the website's functionality and reach. Your understanding and support are invaluable to the success of our mission.

8. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies to enhance your experience (e.g., remembering your language preference via Google Translate). You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. We may also use Google Analytics to collect anonymized usage data, as outlined in Google’s Privacy Policy.

9. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

Email: privacy@dhammadiksha.com, dhammadikshaic@gmail.com
Address: Ground floor, State Head office TBSI (The Buddhist Society of India), next to OWN corporate office, near Masrear Chawk, City Kangra, 176001 (H.P)

If you are in India and have a grievance under the DPDP Act, we will address your complaint within 30 days. You may also contact the Data Protection Board of India for unresolved issues.

10. International Data Transfers

As a global campaign, your data may be processed in countries outside your residence (e.g., where FluentForm or Google servers are located). We ensure that any international transfers comply with applicable privacy laws, such as GDPR’s standard contractual clauses.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for individuals under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a minor without parental consent, we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be posted on this page with the effective date. We encourage you to review it periodically.

Last Updated: June 7, 2025

13. Your Commitment to Our Campaign

By signing the petition, you join a global Buddhist community dedicated to restoring the Mahabodhi Temple to Buddhist management. We handle your data with the same reverence and care as we approach this sacred cause. Thank you for your trust and support.