Saras Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Saras Educator & Charaka Effective date: 18 May 2026 Last updated: 18 May 2026

The whole policy in one sentence. Saras Educator (JEE) and Charaka (NEET-UG) are sister study apps from the same India-based team — neither runs a server, neither holds an account for you, neither sees what you study; the only thing that leaves your device is an anonymous ad request to Google AdMob (configured to be as private as Google permits), and, for Saras only, an anonymous purchase receipt from Apple when you buy Remove Ads.

This Privacy Policy explains how Saras Educator and Charaka (”we”, “us”, “our”, “the Apps”) handle personal information. It is written to comply with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), Apple’s App Store privacy requirements, and EU/UK GDPR principles where applicable.

The substantive practices for both Apps are identical with one exception: Saras Educator offers a one-time Remove Ads in-app purchase, which adds a single anonymous purchase-receipt data flow from Apple (Section 3.2). Charaka has no in-app purchases. Sections marked (Saras only) or (Charaka only) are flagged explicitly. Everything else applies to both Apps.

Where this Policy refers to “the App”, it means whichever of the two apps you are currently using. Where it refers to “the Apps” (plural), it means both Saras Educator and Charaka collectively.

We don’t run a server. Your practice attempts, notes, sketches, imported documents, mock-test results, and AI tutor conversations live only on your iPhone or iPad — for both Apps, in separate sandboxes. We cannot see them. We do not collect them. We have no way to access them, ever.

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1. Who we are

Saras Educator and Charaka are independent educational mobile apps developed in India by the same team:

• Saras Educator — JEE Main / JEE Advanced preparation. Brand: the Sarus crane, indigo-purple palette.

• Charaka — NEET-UG preparation. Brand: the mortar-and-pestle / neem-leaf, sage-cream-saffron palette.

For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (”DPDP Act”), we act as the Data Fiduciary with respect to any personal data processed in connection with either App.

Contact emails (use the one that matches the App you have a question about):

• Saras Educator: saras.app.support@gmail.com

• Charaka: charaka.app.support@gmail.com

The same addresses handle grievance redressal under Section 8(9) of the DPDP Act (see Section 14).

2. What this policy covers

This policy applies to your use of the Saras Educator and Charaka mobile applications on iOS and iPadOS, distributed via the Apple App Store. It does not apply to:

• Third-party websites or services you may navigate to from either App.

• Apple’s own services (Apple Intelligence, the App Store, StoreKit, iCloud backups of your device if you have those enabled, etc.) — covered by Apple’s own privacy policy.

• Google AdMob’s wider data handling — covered by Google’s privacy policy, with the caveat that we have configured AdMob with the most restrictive options available (see Section 3.3).

It explains: what information the Apps process, who processes it, where it goes, how long it is kept, and your rights as a Data Principal under the DPDP Act, GDPR (where applicable), and other laws.

3. Information we collect

3.1 Information collected by us directly

Zero. We collect nothing. This is true for both Apps.

• No account creation. No sign-in. No email. No phone number.

• No iOS permission prompts of any kind beyond those you optionally trigger (e.g., the Photos picker if you import an image into Charaka, the file picker if you import a PDF). The Apps never ask for camera, location, microphone, contacts, or App Tracking Transparency access.

• No analytics SDK. No crash reporter operated by us. No A/B testing framework. No remote logging.

• No backend, no server, no database we operate.

All practice data — your attempts, mastery scores, time spent per question, streaks, hints used, notes, sketches, imported PDFs, mock-test results — is stored only on your device using Apple’s SwiftData framework (an encrypted SQLite database, sandboxed per app). It is never transmitted anywhere because there is nowhere to transmit it to.

The two Apps’ on-device stores are independent. Your JEE progress in Saras and your NEET progress in Charaka live in separate sandboxes and never see each other, even when both are installed.

3.2 Information processed by Apple on our behalf

• Apple Intelligence (Foundation Models) processes your AI tutor prompts and responses entirely on your device, in both Apps. Apple’s standard on-device AI privacy guarantees apply. We do not see, log, or transmit these prompts.

• The App Store handles app installation and updates for both Apps. Apple does not share your Apple ID or personal information with us beyond aggregated, anonymous developer metrics (install counts by country, OS version distribution, etc.).

• StoreKit purchase entitlements (Saras only) — when you buy the Remove Ads upgrade in Saras Educator, Apple sends Saras an anonymous receipt indicating the purchase is valid. We do not see your name, email, billing address, or payment details. This data flow does not exist in Charaka because Charaka has no in-app purchases.

3.3 Information processed by Google AdMob

Both Apps display short rest-break advertisements between practice questions, served by Google AdMob (Google Mobile Ads SDK). In Saras, ads are shown to users on the free tier and suppressed for Remove Ads purchasers; in Charaka, ads are always shown because Charaka has no paid tier.

To deliver an ad, AdMob may access limited device information including:

• A device identifier for advertising attribution (not the IDFA — see configuration below);

• General device characteristics (model, iOS version, screen size, language, country);

• Coarse network information (connection type, IP address from which the request originates).

We configure the SDK identically in both Apps, using the most restrictive privacy posture Google permits:

• tagForUnderAgeOfConsent = true — treats every user as below the age of digital consent worldwide. This blocks IDFA usage entirely and suppresses the App Tracking Transparency prompt in both Apps.

• publisherPrivacyPersonalizationState = .disabled — no personalised advertising.

• npa=1 on every request — belt-and-braces non-personalisation flag.

• maxAdContentRating = .general — only G-rated creatives are served.

• SKAdNetwork attribution only — install-attribution uses Apple’s privacy-friendly framework, not cross-app tracking IDs.

The result: ads you see are contextual (based on the App’s category — exam prep) and not personalised based on your behaviour. No tracking profile is built about you. No App Tracking Transparency prompt ever appears in either App.

Ads are deliberately suppressed inside mock tests, AI tutor surfaces, and the Notes / Sketches / PDF reader in both Apps.

3.4 What we do NOT collect

For absolute clarity, neither App collects or processes:

• Your name, email address, phone number, postal address, or any contact information.

• Your physical location, IP-based location, or movement history.

• Your contacts, calendar, photos, microphone audio, or camera input.

• Your AI tutor prompts or responses (these stay on-device via Apple Intelligence).

• Your practice attempts, mock-test answers, mastery scores, notes, sketches, or imported documents.

• Your Apple ID, iCloud account, or any other identifier that could link you to a person.

• Any behavioural advertising profile.

• Any biometric or health data.

• Children’s data beyond the strict minimum required for the App to function on your device.

4. Why we process this data (purposes)

Because we do not collect data ourselves, the only third-party processing that happens on our behalf is via Apple (App Store + Apple Intelligence + StoreKit) and Google AdMob (ad delivery). The purposes:

Data flow App(s) Purpose On-device practice / progress storage Both Compute your dashboard, streaks, mastery scores, and mock-test results inside the App. Apple App Store install + update telemetry Both Standard developer-platform telemetry (aggregated, anonymous). Apple Intelligence on-device inference Both Run the AI tutor on your device. No data leaves the device. Apple StoreKit purchase entitlement Saras only Unlock the ad-free experience for Remove Ads purchasers. Google AdMob ad request Both (Charaka always, Saras free tier) Serve a contextual ad to keep the App free. SKAdNetwork install attribution Both Privacy-preserving aggregated install attribution.

5. Legal basis for processing

Under the DPDP Act, we rely on the following grounds:

• Consent (Section 6) — by using either App, you consent to AdMob’s processing for ad delivery as described above. (Saras only) You separately consent when you choose to make the Remove Ads in-app purchase. You may withdraw consent at any time by uninstalling the App.

• Legitimate uses (Section 7) — basic functioning of the Apps (storing your practice data on your own device, and the anonymised aggregate metrics Apple and Google provide to all developers).

If a parent or guardian has provided consent on behalf of a child, we rely on that consent.

Under GDPR (where applicable to users in the EEA / UK), the basis is legitimate interests for ad-supported free distribution and consent where required by local law. Since we apply under-age-of-consent treatment globally (Section 3.3), no personalised-ad consent is collected or processed in either App.

6. How long we keep your data

We don’t keep your data. We never had it. There is nothing for us to retain or delete on our side because nothing about you ever reaches our side.

• On-device data: kept until you delete it from the App or uninstall the App. Uninstalling removes everything; reinstalling starts you back at zero.

• Apple purchase entitlements (Saras only): retained by Apple under Apple’s policies, not ours.

• AdMob and Apple telemetry logs: retained per the respective third party’s published retention policy.

We do not back up your data to any cloud service operated by us.

7. Sharing your data

We share nothing because we collect nothing. We do not sell, rent, trade, or transfer any user data — not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to any third party — because no user data is in our possession to share.

The only data flows that leave your device are:

• Ad requests to Google AdMob (both Apps, with Saras free-tier and all Charaka users) — limited device information as described in Section 3.3. We do not see these requests. Google does, subject to Google’s privacy policy and the restrictive settings we have applied.

• App Store install / update / anonymous crash reports to Apple (both Apps) — standard Apple developer telemetry. Apple may share aggregated statistics with us; none of it is personally identifying.

• StoreKit purchase receipts (Saras only, only if you buy Remove Ads) — Apple sends Saras an anonymous “purchased” signal.

We will only ever disclose information to a third party (including a government authority) if compelled to by valid Indian legal process — and only to the extent legally required. In practice we would have nothing to disclose.

8. Where your data is stored

• Your practice data: on your device, in whichever country your device is physically located.

• App Store / Apple Intelligence / StoreKit data: processed by Apple at facilities Apple operates globally. Apple is a U.S. company with infrastructure worldwide.

• AdMob data: processed by Google at facilities Google operates globally. AdMob impression logs may transit and be stored on servers outside India, subject to Google’s standard cross-border data-transfer safeguards.

If you have iCloud backups enabled at the iOS level, Apple’s backup mechanism may snapshot each App’s data into your iCloud account — that is covered by Apple’s privacy policy, not ours.

Under DPDP Act Section 16, the Government of India may restrict transfers of personal data to certain countries. We comply with any such notifications applicable at the time.

9. Children’s privacy

Both Apps are intended for entrance-examination aspirants typically aged 16 to 19, with a minimum age of 13.

Under the DPDP Act, any user under 18 is a “Child” and special protections apply:

• A parent or guardian must provide verifiable consent before a Child uses either App.

• We do not run behavioural advertising profiling on Children — or anyone, because of the tagForUnderAgeOfConsent = true setting applied globally to both Apps.

• We do not track Children’s data for marketing purposes.

We rely on the consent provided by the parent or guardian at the time of installation and use. If you are a parent and discover your Child has used either App without your consent, or has been shown inappropriate content, please contact us at the relevant email in Section 1 — we will work with you to address it.

10. Your rights under the DPDP Act

As a Data Principal, you have the right to:

1. Right to access — request a summary of personal data we process about you. (Answer for both Apps: none.)

2. Right to correction — request correction of inaccurate or misleading personal data. (Not applicable since we hold none.)

3. Right to erasure — request deletion of your personal data. For both Apps, uninstalling removes everything from your device — that is the only place your data exists.

4. Right to grievance redressal — file a complaint with our Grievance Officer (Section 14). If unsatisfied, escalate to the Data Protection Board of India.

5. Right to nominate — appoint another individual to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity.

6. Right to withdraw consent — withdraw any previously given consent at any time by uninstalling the relevant App.

For most users these rights are effectively moot because we hold no personal data. They are listed for completeness and DPDP Act compliance. To exercise any of them, write to the email for the relevant App (Section 1).

11. Cookies and tracking technologies

Both Apps are native iOS applications and do not use HTTP cookies. Neither contains web tracking pixels or analytics beacons of its own. The AdMob SDK uses Apple’s SKAdNetwork framework for install attribution; this is privacy-preserving by design and does not involve cross-app tracking identifiers.

12. Security

We protect your data using:

• Local-only storage — your practice data does not leave your device in either App.

• iOS Data Protection — SwiftData files are encrypted at rest by iOS when the device is locked.

• HTTPS / TLS — any optional network calls (App Store, AdMob, Apple Intelligence platform infrastructure) use TLS.

• No server-side database — there is no Saras- or Charaka-operated server that stores your personal data, so a server breach by us is structurally impossible.

• App Store distribution only — both Apps are distributed exclusively via Apple’s signed-and-reviewed pipeline.

No security measure is 100% effective. Since the Apps store data only on your device, security on your device is primarily managed by iOS itself (Face ID, Touch ID, passcode, Find My, etc.).

13. Data breach notification

In the unlikely event of a personal data breach affecting any user data we control, we will notify affected users and the Data Protection Board of India within the timelines required by the DPDP Act and any subsequent rules.

Since neither App maintains a server with user data, the universe of breachable data on our side is essentially nil.

14. Grievance redressal

Under Section 8(9) of the DPDP Act, we have designated the following Grievance Officers (one per App, same team):

• Saras Educator Grievance Officer: Saras Privacy Team, saras.app.support@gmail.com

• Charaka Grievance Officer: Charaka Privacy Team, charaka.app.support@gmail.com

Response times (both Apps):

• Acknowledgement within 48 hours of receipt.

• Substantive response within 7 working days.

• Resolution within 30 days for complex matters, as permitted under the DPDP Act.

Please mention “Privacy” or “DPDP grievance” in your subject line for fastest routing.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India as constituted under Section 18 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The Board’s official contact details and grievance portal will be published by the Government of India; until then, complaints may also be sent to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

15. International users

Both Apps are available globally via the App Store. Users outside India are nonetheless protected by the privacy guarantees in this policy — most notably the “we don’t collect anything” principle that applies identically worldwide.

European users have rights under the GDPR and UK GDPR: right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, and not to be subject to automated decision-making. California users have rights under the CCPA / CPRA. Because we do not collect personal data, most of those rights are again moot in practice, but we will honour any reasonable request at the contact email for the relevant App (Section 1).

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in either App, the law, or our data practices. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the “Last updated” date at the top.

• Highlight the change inside the App’s release notes for that version.

• For substantive changes, request fresh consent where required by law.

We will never expand either App’s data collection without prominent notice in the App. If we ever did, you would have the option to uninstall and stop the data flow before the change took effect.

Your continued use of the relevant App after such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

17. Contact

For any privacy questions, grievances, or rights requests, please use the email for the relevant App:

• Saras Educator: saras.app.support@gmail.com

• Charaka: saras.app.support@gmail.com

Please mention “Privacy” in your subject line for fastest routing.

18. Acknowledgement

By using Saras Educator or Charaka you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

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Plain-English summary:

Saras and Charaka run locally on your iPhone. Your practice data stays on your device, in separate sandboxes for each app. We have no server, no account, no email list, and no analytics. The only things that leave your device are: (a) anonymous ad requests to AdMob (in both apps, configured to be non-personalised, no IDFA, no tracking), and (b) for Saras only, an anonymous receipt from Apple when you buy Remove Ads. You can stop everything by uninstalling.