Last updated: 9 October 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how UrBharat (“UrBharat”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, shares and protects personal data when you visit urbharat.xyz (the “Website”). We process personal data in accordance with applicable Indian law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made under them.
By using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
1. Information we collect
Information you provide
- Contact form: your name, email address, the topic and subject you choose, and your message.
- Comments: if you leave a comment, the name, email address and (optional) website you enter and the content of your comment. We also store the IP address and browser user-agent string to help detect spam.
Information collected automatically
- Log data: like most websites, our hosting servers automatically record technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, referring page and the date and time of your visit.
- Cookies and similar technologies: see section 4 and our Cookie Policy.
- Analytics data: collected through Google Analytics, as described in section 5.
- Advertising data: collected by Google AdSense and its partners, as described in section 6.
2. How we use your information
- To respond to your messages, correction requests, grievances and privacy requests
- To publish and moderate comments
- To operate, maintain, secure and improve the Website, including preventing spam and abuse
- To understand how visitors use the Website through aggregated analytics
- To display advertising that helps fund the Website
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities
We do not sell your personal data.
3. Third-party services
- Google Fonts: our fonts are loaded from Google’s servers, which means your IP address is shared with Google when a page loads.
- Gravatar: if you leave a comment, an anonymised string created from your email address (a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service to check whether you use it and to display your profile picture.
- Embedded content: articles may include embedded content (for example, videos) from other websites. Embedded content behaves as if you visited the other website, which may collect data about you and use cookies.
- Email delivery and hosting providers who process data on our behalf to run the Website and deliver messages.
4. Cookies
We and our partners use cookies and similar technologies to make the Website work, remember your preferences, measure traffic and show advertising. Where required, we ask for your consent through our cookie banner, and you can change your choices at any time. Full details are in our Cookie Policy.
5. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use the Website. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as pages visited, time spent on the Website, device and browser information and approximate location. This information is processed by Google on our behalf. You can learn more in how Google uses information from sites that use its services, and opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
6. Advertising (Google AdSense)
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this Website or other websites.
- Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this Website and/or other sites on the Internet.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalised advertising at www.aboutads.info.
For more information, see how Google uses cookies in advertising.
7. How we share information
We share personal data only with service providers that help us run the Website (such as hosting, email delivery, analytics and advertising providers), when required by law or a lawful request from a government authority, or to protect the rights, safety and security of UrBharat, our readers or others.
8. Data retention
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Contact messages are kept for as long as needed to respond and maintain a record of our correspondence. Approved comments and their metadata are kept for as long as the comment is published. Analytics data is retained according to our Google Analytics retention settings. We may keep information for longer where the law requires it.
9. Data security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections and security tools on our website. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- access a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how it is processed
- request correction, completion or updating of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
- request erasure of personal data that is no longer needed
- withdraw consent you have given, without affecting processing that took place before withdrawal
- nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity
- have your grievances addressed
Visitors in the European Union or United Kingdom may also have rights under the GDPR, including the right to object to processing and to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, contact us through our Contact page and choose “Privacy or data request”. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
11. Grievance redressal
If you have a concern or complaint about how we handle personal data or about content on the Website, please contact our Grievance Officer through our Contact page and select “Grievance”. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to resolve it within the timelines required by applicable law. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India.
12. Children’s privacy
The Website is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
13. International data transfers
Some of our service providers, such as Google, may process personal data on servers located outside India. Where this happens, we rely on providers that offer appropriate safeguards and comply with applicable law.
14. Links to other websites
The Website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes may also be highlighted on the Website.
16. Contact us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out through our Contact page.