Last Updated: 10th Oct 2025
The ICMR–Centre for Advanced Research in Digital Interventions for Mental Health Care (“the Centre,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) is firmly committed to upholding the privacy, confidentiality, and security of all individuals (“you” or “your”) who engage with our website and affiliated digital platforms. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, store, disclose, and safeguard personal data in accordance with the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023, and other applicable institutional, ethical, and regulatory standards.
This policy applies to all users who access or use the official website of the Centre, including individuals participating in research, outreach, training, or digital mental health programmes.
By accessing this website, you signify your consent to the terms and conditions outlined herein.
Purpose and Scope
The Centre is an initiative of NIMHANS, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and developed in partnership with the E-Health Research Centre, International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B). The platform is a collaborative ecosystem integrating expertise from mental health, public health, and technology disciplines to advance scientific understanding, promote evidence-based digital mental health interventions, and foster public engagement in the field of psychological well-being.
Data collected
We collect only such personal data as is necessary for legitimate institutional, research, and administrative purposes. Depending on your interaction with the platform, certain information about your access is automatically recorded. This includes your server’s address, the top-level domain name from which you access the Internet (for example, .gov, .com, .in, etc.), the type of browser you use, the date and time of your visit, the pages accessed and documents downloaded, as well as the previous Internet address from which you linked directly to this site. This data is collected solely for the purpose of understanding website usage patterns and improving user experience. The Centre does not attempt to identify users or track their browsing activities, except where required by law enforcement agencies under a valid warrant.
Data collected
No personal data is processed or retained beyond the extent necessary for these legitimate objectives. The Centre follows the principles of data minimization and purpose limitation, ensuring that all personal information is handled with the highest standards of confidentiality. Only authorized personnel operating under institutional confidentiality agreements and ethical clearance protocols have access to identifiable data.
All personal data is securely stored on servers managed by NIMHANS and IIIT-B, which employ robust administrative, technical, and physical safeguards. These include encryption of sensitive information, secure data transmission protocols, role-based access controls, regular security audits, and maintenance of access logs. We take every reasonable precaution to prevent unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, or destruction of your information.
Retention and Deletion
Personal data will be retained only for as long as required to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or as mandated by law. Typically, user data is retained for a period of three years from the date of last activity, following which they are securely deleted or anonymized.
Users have rights under the DPDPA, 2023, including the right to access their personal data, request correction or erasure of inaccuracies, withdraw consent, and seek grievance redressal.
To exercise these rights, users may contact the Centre at centerfordigitalmentalhealth@nimhans.net. Upon verification, all personal data associated with the account will be erased, except where retention is necessary for legal, security, or research compliance.
A cookie is a small piece of software code that a website sends to your browser when you access information on that site. This website does not use cookies to store any personal information, track user activity, or gather browsing preferences.
Disclosure to Third Parties
The Centre does not share or disclose personal data to third parties except under specific circumstances, such as compliance with legal obligations, technical maintenance by authorized service providers under confidentiality agreements, or collaborative research activities approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) of NIMHANS. Under no circumstances will personal information be sold, leased, or used for commercial gain.
Our website may include links to external or third-party websites for informational or reference purposes. The Centre does not assume responsibility for the privacy practices, content, or data handling of such third-party entities. Users are advised to review the privacy policies of external sites they visit.
Data Breach and Incident Response
In the event of a data breach, the Centre will promptly evaluate the risk, notify the Data Protection Board of India as mandated by law, and inform affected data principals of the nature and scope of the incident, along with corrective measures undertaken. An internal incident response protocol ensures timely mitigation and documentation of such events.
Contact and Grievance Redressal
This Privacy Policy may be periodically revised to reflect evolving legal, technical, or institutional requirements. The most recent version will always be made available on this webpage, along with the date of last modification. Substantial changes will be communicated through official channels to ensure transparency and continued compliance.
For any questions, clarifications, or to exercise your data protection rights, you may contact:
ICMR–Centre for Advanced Research in Digital Interventions for Mental Health Care
Room No. 404, 5th Floor, Dr. M.V. Govindaswamy Centre
NIMHANS, Hosur Road, Bengaluru – 560029, India
centerfordigitalmentalhealth@nimhans.net | car.icmr.nimhans@gmail.com
+91-7795304578 / +91-9980833512 / +91-9980854912