Privacy Policy
Effective Date: June 22, 2025
The Lok Sahaita STEM Talent Search Portal (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is jointly managed by the Asma M. Hashmi STEM Centre at NED University of Engineering & Technology and the non-profit organization Lok Sahaita. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you access or use our website and services.
Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information only for analytics, system security, and improving user experience:
Personal Information
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- University or institution name
- Academic program and degree level
- CNIC (optional)
- Profile photo (optional)
Project Information
- Project abstracts and details
- Supporting documents, videos, or images
- Team member information
Usage and Technical Data
- IP address
- Browser type
- Pages visited
- Session timestamps
How We Use Your Information
- Administer the competition
- Assign evaluators, mentors, and jury members
- Facilitate virtual interviews and mentorship sessions
- Notify users about deadlines, results, and updates
- Publish approved content
- Monitor platform activity for audit and transparency purposes
Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell or share your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes. However, information may be shared in the following contexts:
- With authorized evaluators, mentors, or jury members for competition-related purposes
- With observer-level users in a read-only, anonymized manner
- With third-party service providers strictly for functional use
All partners are bound by confidentiality and data protection agreements.
Data Security
- Encrypted transmission (HTTPS/TLS 1.2+)
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Only authorized users can access sensitive data, and all actions are logged
Data Retention
We retain your personal and project information for the duration of the programme and a reasonable period thereafter for reporting, auditing, or archival purposes. You may request deletion of your data by contacting us, subject to administrative constraints and competition integrity.
Your Rights
- Access your data
- Correct any inaccuracies
- Request deletion (where applicable)
- Withdraw participation at any time before submission deadlines
For any data-related requests, please email support@loksahaita.org.
Use of Cookies
We may use cookies and local storage for session management and user preferences. These do not track or profile users for advertising purposes.
Third-Party Services
We integrate with third-party services such as Google Meet / Calendar, Supabase, and Mailgun. We encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.
Updates to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised “Effective Date.”
Contact Us
Email: support@loksahaita.org