Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using ShivHari Academy ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms in full, you must not use the Platform. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Shivhari Dharma Foundation Trust ("the Trust", "we", "us").

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be notified by email or a prominent notice on the Platform. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account and use the Platform independently.
• Learners under 18 may use the Platform only with the active involvement of a parent or legal guardian, who accepts these Terms on their behalf and assumes full responsibility for the minor's use.
• Corporate and institutional accounts must be created by an authorised representative of the organisation who has the authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.
• By registering, you represent that all information you provide is accurate, current, and complete.

3. Account Creation and Security

• Each account is personal and non-transferable. You may not share your login credentials with any other person.
• You are solely responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must notify us immediately at shivhariacademy@gmail.com if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account that we reasonably believe has been compromised, shared, or used in violation of these Terms.

4. Course Enrolment and Access

• Upon successful enrolment (paid or scholarship), you are granted a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access the course materials for the duration specified at enrolment.
• Course access is provided through your registered account only. You may not share course materials, links, videos, or assessments with any person who has not individually enrolled.
• We reserve the right to modify, update, or discontinue course content at any time to ensure accuracy and quality. Where content is substantially changed, enrolled learners will be notified.
• Live sessions, webinars, and mentorship calls are subject to scheduled availability and may be rescheduled with reasonable notice.

5. Scholarship Terms

• ShivHari Academy offers merit-and-need based scholarships funded by the Trust's educational surplus.
• Scholarship grants are made at the Trust's sole discretion. Submission of an application does not guarantee approval.
• Scholarship recipients must comply with any conditions communicated at the time of grant (e.g., programme completion, community contribution).
• Misrepresentation of eligibility or circumstances in a scholarship application may result in immediate revocation of the scholarship and termination of the account.
• Scholarships are non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash or credit.

6. Certificate Validity

• Certificates are issued upon verified completion of all required modules and assessments for a course.
• Each certificate carries a unique verification ID that can be validated at academy.shivharidharma.org/verify-cert.php.
• Certificates reflect competence at the time of completion and do not confer any academic degree, professional licence, or regulatory authorisation unless explicitly stated.
• We reserve the right to revoke a certificate if it is subsequently found to have been obtained through dishonest means (plagiarism, impersonation, or assessment fraud).
• Certificate records are retained indefinitely to support lifelong verification.

7. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Share, resell, redistribute, sublicense, or publicly display any course content, videos, assessments, or materials without our prior written consent.
• Share account credentials or allow any other person to access the Platform using your account.
• Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to access, scrape, or download course content.
• Attempt to circumvent any technical protection measure or access control on the Platform.
• Upload, post, or transmit any content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any organisation.
• Harass, abuse, or harm other learners, faculty, or staff through any communication channel on the Platform.
• Use the Platform for any commercial purpose other than as expressly permitted in writing by the Trust.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate account suspension or termination without refund.

8. Payment and Refund Policy

• Course fees are displayed in Indian Rupees (INR) inclusive of applicable taxes.
• Payments are processed securely via Razorpay. By making a payment, you also agree to Razorpay's terms and conditions.
• A full refund may be requested within 48 hours of enrolment, provided you have not accessed more than 20% of the course content. Refund requests must be sent to shivhariacademy@gmail.com with your order reference number.
• After the 48-hour window, no refunds will be issued under any circumstances, including inability to complete the course, technical difficulties attributable to your device or internet connection, or change of mind.
• If the Trust cancels a course before it begins, enrolled learners will receive a full refund within 7 working days.
• Refunds, where approved, will be credited to the original payment source within 7–10 working days.

9. Intellectual Property

• All content on the Platform — including course videos, slides, assessments, written materials, logos, and software — is owned by or licensed to Shivhari Dharma Foundation Trust and is protected by applicable Indian copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws.
• Your enrolment grants you a personal licence to view and use the materials for your own learning only. No other rights are granted.
• You may not reproduce, adapt, translate, distribute, publicly perform, or create derivative works from any content without our prior written consent.
• Content you submit (forum posts, assignment submissions, testimonials) remains your property, but you grant us a royalty-free licence to display it on the Platform and in promotional materials.

10. Limitation of Liability

• The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
• We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.
• To the fullest extent permitted by Indian law, the Trust's total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Platform shall not exceed the total amount paid by you for the course(s) directly at issue.
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of income, data, or professional opportunity.
• Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded by Indian law.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. All disputes, controversies, or claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Darbhanga, Bihar, India.

12. Dispute Resolution

• In the event of any dispute, you agree to first attempt to resolve the matter informally by writing to shivhariacademy@gmail.com. We will respond within 14 working days.
• If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days of written notice, either party may pursue legal remedies before the courts in Darbhanga, Bihar, India.
• Notwithstanding the above, the Trust may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent misuse of intellectual property or breach of confidentiality obligations.

13. Termination

• You may close your account at any time by writing to shivhariacademy@gmail.com.
• We may suspend or terminate your account and access to courses, without prior notice, if you breach these Terms or if we are required to do so by applicable law.
• On termination, your licence to access course content ceases immediately. Certificate records are retained to support verification.

14. Contact

For any questions relating to these Terms of Use, please contact:

ShivHari Academy
Shivhari Dharma Foundation Trust
Email: shivhariacademy@gmail.com