Terms and Conditions for ShikshAQ
**Effective Date:** November 2025
**Last Updated:** November 2025
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## 1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing, browsing, registering, or using ShikshAQ (the "Platform," "Website," "Service"), operated by NGO AquaTerra, you acknowledge and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms").
**Your use of ShikshAQ constitutes automatic acceptance of these Terms.** You do not need to formally sign or click an "I Agree" button—simply using the Platform means you agree to all terms outlined herein.
If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must discontinue use of the Platform immediately. Continued use indicates your acceptance and agreement.
These Terms apply to all users, including but not limited to students, parents/guardians, tutors, educators, and any other individuals or entities accessing the Platform.
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## 2. Platform Purpose and Scope
### 2.1 What ShikshAQ Does
ShikshAQ is a **free, non-profit tutor-student matchmaking platform** designed to connect students and parents with qualified educators in the Kolkata metropolitan area. The Platform's sole function is to:
- Provide a searchable directory of tutors by subject, board, location, and teaching mode
- Display tutor profiles and qualifications
- Enable communication between students/parents and tutors
- Facilitate introductions and initial connections
### 2.2 What ShikshAQ Does NOT Do
ShikshAQ explicitly **does NOT**:
- Process, handle, collect, or manage payments of any kind
- Charge commission, fees, or subscriptions from students or tutors
- Negotiate fees or rates between parties
- Mediate financial disputes between students and tutors
- Guarantee the quality, credentials, or conduct of tutors
- Employ, engage, or maintain professional relationships with tutors
- Provide tuition services or educational content directly
- Serve as an employer, contractor, or intermediary in the tutor-student relationship
- Manage contracts or agreements between parties
### 2.3 Direct Negotiation Requirement
All arrangements between students and tutors—including fees, schedules, mode of instruction, teaching methodology, and terms of engagement—are matters of **direct discussion and negotiation** between the student/parent and tutor.
**ShikshAQ has no involvement in these discussions and accepts no responsibility for any agreements reached outside the Platform.**
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## 3. User Eligibility and Registration
### 3.1 Eligibility Requirements
To use ShikshAQ, you must:
- Be at least 13 years old (or have parental/guardian consent if under 18)
- Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
- Not be prohibited from using the Platform under applicable laws
- Not be using the Platform for any illegal, fraudulent, or prohibited purposes
- Have the authority to agree to these Terms (or be authorized by a parent/guardian)
### 3.2 Registration Obligations
When registering on ShikshAQ, you agree to:
- Provide truthful, accurate information
- Update your information promptly if circumstances change
- Maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials
- Accept responsibility for all activities conducted through your account
- Not share your account with unauthorized persons
- Immediately report unauthorized access or security breaches
### 3.3 Account Termination
ShikshAQ reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account without notice if you:
- Provide false or misleading information
- Violate these Terms or any Platform policies
- Engage in prohibited conduct (see Section 4)
- Misuse the Platform or its features
- Fail to comply with applicable laws
- Violate the intellectual property or privacy rights of others
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## 4. Prohibited Conduct
You agree NOT to:
### 4.1 Fraudulent and Illegal Activities
- Use the Platform for any illegal purpose or in violation of applicable laws
- Impersonate any person or misrepresent your identity, qualifications, or credentials
- Provide false information about educational qualifications or teaching experience
- Engage in fraud, deception, or misrepresentation
- Use the Platform to collect personal information under false pretenses
- Conduct any form of scam, pyramid scheme, or multi-level marketing
### 4.2 Harassment and Harmful Conduct
- Harass, threaten, abuse, defame, or intimidate other users
- Send unsolicited or abusive messages
- Engage in bullying, cyberbullying, or discriminatory behavior
- Make unwanted sexual advances or contact
- Engage in any form of exploitation or abuse
- Threaten violence or engage in violent behavior
### 4.3 Platform Abuse
- Spam, flood, or send repetitive messages to other users
- Post offensive, obscene, or inappropriate content
- Create fake or duplicate accounts
- Attempt to access restricted areas or bypass security measures
- Interfere with platform functionality or server operations
- Scrape, crawl, or automatically extract data from the Platform
- Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to discover source code
- Use bots, scripts, or automated tools without authorization
- Disrupt or interrupt services
### 4.4 Intellectual Property Violations
- Violate copyrights, trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property rights
- Upload, post, or share copyrighted content without authorization
- Use the Platform to distribute pirated software or content
- Plagiarize or present others' work as your own
### 4.5 Privacy and Data Violations
- Collect, store, or misuse personal information of other users
- Share other users' contact information without consent
- Sell, trade, or exploit user data
- Violate the privacy rights of other users
- Attempt unauthorized access to other users' accounts
### 4.6 Commercial Misuse
- Use the Platform for commercial advertising without authorization
- Promote competing platforms or services
- Offer services outside the scope of tuition without Platform permission
- Use the Platform to recruit for multi-level marketing schemes
- Engage in any unauthorized business activity on the Platform
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## 5. Payment and Fees
### 5.1 No Platform Charges
**ShikshAQ is completely free to use.** There are no:
- Registration fees for students or tutors
- Subscription charges
- Commission or platform fees
- Hidden charges of any kind
- Premium membership costs (as of now)
All access to the Platform and its features is provided free of charge.
### 5.2 Direct Tuition Fee Negotiation
Any fees for tutoring services are the subject of **independent negotiation** between the student/parent and tutor. This includes:
- Hourly or session rates
- Batch/group tuition pricing
- Monthly or semester fees
- Payment schedule and method
- Refund or adjustment policies
- Cancellation terms
### 5.3 No Payment Processing
**ShikshAQ does not process, collect, hold, or manage any payments.** You must arrange payment directly with the tutor through mutually agreed methods (cash, bank transfer, online payment apps, etc.).
**ShikshAQ accepts no responsibility for:**
- Payment disputes between students and tutors
- Non-payment or partial payment issues
- Billing disagreements
- Refund requests
- Fraud or unauthorized transactions
- Any financial transaction between parties
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## 6. Tutor Verification and Qualifications
### 6.1 Verification Process
ShikshAQ conducts a basic verification process for tutors, including:
- Educational qualification verification
- Identity verification
- Background checks (where applicable)
- Contact information validation
### 6.2 Limitations of Verification
**Verification does NOT constitute:**
- Employment or engagement by ShikshAQ
- Endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of quality
- Assurance of teaching ability or student satisfaction
- Professional licensing or credentialing
- Guarantee that the tutor will actually teach or provide services
- Liability assumption for the tutor's conduct or performance
**ShikshAQ is not responsible for:**
- The accuracy of verified information
- The quality of tutoring services provided
- The conduct or behavior of tutors
- Whether tutors fulfill their commitments to students
- Student satisfaction or learning outcomes
### 6.3 Student Responsibility
Students and parents are responsible for:
- Independently verifying tutor credentials if desired
- Conducting background checks or references as needed
- Assessing teaching methodology and compatibility
- Ensuring the tutor meets their specific requirements
- Taking appropriate safety precautions when meeting tutors
- Reporting any misconduct or concerns to ShikshAQ
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## 7. Intellectual Property Rights
### 7.1 Platform Content
ShikshAQ and NGO AquaTerra retain all intellectual property rights in:
- Platform design, layout, and interface
- Website content, text, graphics, logos, and images
- Software, code, and technical infrastructure
- Compilation of data and user profiles (while respecting privacy)
- All other original content created by ShikshAQ
### 7.2 User-Generated Content
By posting content on ShikshAQ (profile descriptions, qualifications, tutoring details), you:
- Grant ShikshAQ a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content on the Platform
- Warrant that you own or have the right to share the content
- Agree that your content may be visible to other Platform users
You retain ownership of your user-generated content and may remove it by deleting your account.
### 7.3 Use Restrictions
You may not:
- Reproduce, distribute, or transmit Platform content without authorization
- Modify, translate, or create derivative works based on Platform content
- Use Platform content for any commercial purpose
- Download or cache Platform content without permission
- Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or attribution notices
---
## 8. Limitation of Liability
### 8.1 Disclaimers
**ShikshAQ is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties or guarantees of any kind.** ShikshAQ makes no representations regarding:
- Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of Platform content
- Quality or suitability of tutors or services
- Fitness for a particular purpose
- Non-infringement of third-party rights
- Uninterrupted or error-free service
- Security or absence of viruses/malware
### 8.2 No Liability
**To the fullest extent permitted by law, ShikshAQ and NGO AquaTerra shall not be liable for:**
- Any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages
- Loss of data, profits, revenue, or business opportunities
- Any claim arising from user conduct, content, or disputes
- Disputes between students and tutors
- Payment or fee disputes
- Quality or results of tutoring services
- Any harm, damage, or loss resulting from Platform use
- Unauthorized access, data breaches, or security incidents (except where ShikshAQ's gross negligence is proven)
- Suspension or termination of your account
- Third-party conduct or actions
### 8.3 Causation Limitation
These limitations apply regardless of the cause of action, even if ShikshAQ has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
### 8.4 Separate Agreement
You acknowledge that this limitation of liability represents a fair allocation of risk between you and ShikshAQ, and that ShikshAQ would not provide this free service without such protections.
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## 9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ShikshAQ, NGO AquaTerra, and their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any:
- Claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees)
- Arising from your use of the Platform
- Resulting from any breach of these Terms
- Stemming from your user-generated content
- Caused by your violation of any law or third-party rights
- Resulting from disputes between you and other users
---
## 10. Disputes and Grievances
### 10.1 Tutor-Student Disputes
**ShikshAQ does not mediate disputes between tutors and students.** If you have a grievance with a tutor or another user, you must:
- Attempt direct resolution through private communication
- Seek local legal remedies as applicable
- Not involve ShikshAQ as a mediator or arbitrator
**Exception:** If the conduct violates these Terms, report it to ShikshAQ at support@shikshaq.in.
### 10.2 Platform-Related Grievances
For grievances related to Platform functionality, access, or content:
- Email: support@shikshaq.in
- Contact: https://www.shikshaq.in/contact
- Response Time: Within 14 days
### 10.3 Reporting Misconduct
To report prohibited conduct or violations:
- Email: support@shikshaq.in with details and evidence
- Subject: "Platform Misconduct Report"
- ShikshAQ will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include account suspension or termination
---
## 11. Safety and Conduct Guidelines
### 11.1 User Safety Responsibilities
**ShikshAQ recommends the following safety practices:**
- Meet tutors in public or neutral locations when first meeting in-person
- Verify tutor identity and credentials before committing to tuition
- Share limited personal information initially
- Have parents/guardians present during initial meetings with minors
- Trust your instincts and discontinue contact if uncomfortable
- Keep payment receipts and maintain communication records
- Set clear expectations about fees, duration, and cancellation policies
### 11.2 ShikshAQ Safety Measures
ShikshAQ takes the following safety measures:
- Verifies tutor credentials before listing
- Monitors for fraudulent or abusive accounts
- Provides reporting mechanisms for misconduct
- Removes users who violate policies
- Maintains account confidentiality
### 11.3 Limitations
ShikshAQ cannot:
- Guarantee user safety during in-person meetings
- Prevent all fraudulent or harmful conduct
- Monitor private communications between users
- Accept liability for user-to-user harm or misconduct
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## 12. Third-Party Links and Content
ShikshAQ may contain links to external websites or references to third-party services. These Terms apply only to ShikshAQ and do not extend to external websites or services.
**ShikshAQ is not responsible for:**
- Third-party website content, accuracy, or practices
- Links to external resources
- Any transactions or interactions with third parties
- Third-party privacy policies or terms
Use third-party services at your own risk and review their terms and policies independently.
---
## 13. Account Suspension and Termination
### 13.1 Suspension and Termination Rights
ShikshAQ may suspend or terminate your account if you:
- Violate these Terms or other Platform policies
- Engage in prohibited conduct
- Are involved in disputes or abuse
- Provide false information
- Fail to comply with applicable laws
- Misuse the Platform
- Accumulate complaints or violations
- Are reported multiple times for misconduct
### 13.2 Process
- ShikshAQ may suspend or terminate accounts with or without notice
- You will be notified of termination where practicable
- Termination may be permanent or temporary
- Upon termination, your account access ceases immediately
### 13.3 Data Handling Upon Termination
Upon account termination:
- Your profile becomes invisible to other users
- You lose access to Platform features
- Your data is retained according to the Privacy Policy
- You may request data deletion subject to legal retention requirements
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## 14. Modification of Terms
### 14.1 Changes to Terms
ShikshAQ may modify these Terms at any time. Modifications become effective:
- Immediately upon posting to the Platform
- For new users: upon registration
- For existing users: upon continued use of the Platform
### 14.2 Notification
- Material changes will be communicated via email or Platform notification
- Your continued use constitutes acceptance of modified Terms
- If you do not agree with changes, you must stop using the Platform
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## 15. Modification of Services
ShikshAQ may, at any time and without notice:
- Modify, suspend, or discontinue any Platform feature
- Change the geographic areas served
- Adjust board or subject coverage
- Modify user interface or functionality
- Change pricing (if applicable in future)
- Remove or add user features
**You agree that ShikshAQ shall not be liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of services.**
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## 16. Geographic Scope
### 16.1 Service Area
ShikshAQ currently serves the **Kolkata metropolitan area and surrounding localities** in West Bengal, India.
### 16.2 Expansion
ShikshAQ may expand or restrict geographic coverage at any time without notice.
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## 17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
### 17.1 Applicable Law
These Terms and all matters arising from your use of ShikshAQ are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to conflicts of law principles.
### 17.2 Jurisdiction
- All disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- You consent to the jurisdiction and venue of these courts
- You waive any objection to jurisdiction or venue in these courts
### 17.3 Legal Compliance
You agree to comply with all applicable Indian laws, regulations, and legal requirements.
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## 18. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, or if that is not possible, severed. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
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## 19. Entire Agreement
These Terms and the Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and ShikshAQ regarding your use of the Platform. They supersede all prior negotiations, understandings, and agreements. No other terms, conditions, or representations apply unless expressly agreed in writing by an authorized representative of ShikshAQ.
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## 20. Contact Information
For questions or concerns regarding these Terms:
- **Email:** support@shikshaq.in
- **Mailing Address:** NGO AquaTerra, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- **Contact Form:** https://www.shikshaq.in/contact
- **Website:** https://www.shikshaq.in
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## 21. Special Provisions for NGO AquaTerra
### 21.1 Non-Profit Operations
ShikshAQ is operated by NGO AquaTerra, a non-profit organization. The Platform is provided as a social initiative to promote education equity and accessibility. As such:
- The Platform is offered without commercial motive
- No shareholder returns or profit motives drive decisions
- Terms prioritize educational access over commercial interests
- The organization retains the right to make terms adjustments based on social impact considerations
### 21.2 Future Monetization
While ShikshAQ is currently free:
- NGO AquaTerra reserves the right to introduce premium features or limited paid services in the future
- Any monetization will be announced in advance
- Current users will have the option to opt-out
- Core services will remain free to maintain accessibility
### 21.3 Social Use of Data
ShikshAQ may use aggregated, anonymized data for:
- Impact assessment and research
- Educational research in collaboration with academic institutions
- Publishing statistics and case studies (with anonymization)
- Improving platform functionality and user experience
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## 22. Acknowledgment
**By using ShikshAQ, you acknowledge and agree that:**
1. You have read and understood these Terms and Conditions
2. You automatically accept all terms by using the Platform
3. You understand ShikshAQ's role is limited to connection only
4. You understand all fee negotiations are between you and the tutor
5. You assume all responsibility for arrangements with tutors
6. You accept the limitation of liability provisions
7. You waive claims against ShikshAQ except as specifically allowed
8. You agree to comply with all applicable laws and these Terms
---
**Version:** 1.0
**Effective Date:** November 2025
**Last Updated:** November 2025
**Revision Schedule:** As required by legal changes or operational modifications
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## Quick Reference Summary
| Aspect | Details |
|--------|---------|
| **Platform Role** | Connection-only; no payment handling |
| **Fees** | Entirely free to use; no charges from ShikshAQ |
| **Tuition Costs** | Negotiated directly between student and tutor |
| **Liability** | Limited; ShikshAQ not responsible for tutor quality or disputes |
| **Payment Disputes** | Not mediated by ShikshAQ |
| **Misconduct** | Report to support@shikshaq.in; ShikshAQ will investigate |
| **Account Termination** | ShikshAQ may terminate for policy violations |
| **Jurisdiction** | Kolkata courts, India law |
| **Agreement** | Automatic upon Platform use |
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**End of Terms and Conditions**
