YojanaSahay ("we", "the app") is a free, independent guide that helps people in India find government welfare schemes. It is built and run by Sahnawaz Ahmed Laskar, an independent developer in India. This policy explains, in plain words, what data the app uses, why, who processes it, and how you can delete it.
| Data | Why we use it | Where it is kept |
|---|---|---|
| Account details — your name, email address and profile photo (if you sign in with Google), or your mobile number (if you sign in with OTP) | To create your account and sign you in; to send the reminders and replies described below | Google Firebase Authentication |
| Eligibility profile — answers you choose to give, such as state, age group, gender, occupation, income range, area (rural/urban), housing, ration card type, social category, disability, marital status, children, land / Kisan Credit Card and education level | Only to show the schemes you may be eligible for and to personalise answers | Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore) for signed-in users; on your device for guests |
| My Applications — schemes you mark as applied, the date, an optional reference number and status | To remind you to check your application status | Firestore (signed-in) or your device |
| Family members you add (relation, age group and similar answers) | To find schemes for each member | On your device only |
| AI assistant chats | Your chat history is saved on your device so you can continue it. To answer a question, the question and the relevant scheme information are sent to our AI service provider; for live news a short search query may be sent to a web search provider | History: your device only. Processing: see section 3 |
| Reports you send (for example "this link is broken", "this AI answer is wrong" or "please add this scheme") | To fix mistakes and reply to you. The text of a scheme request (with e-mail addresses and phone numbers removed) is read by our AI provider to recognise the scheme you asked for | Firestore |
| Phone notification token (only if you turn on reminders on your phone) | To send scheme deadline and application reminders | Firestore |
| Usage records — searches you type, eligibility checks you run and the state you filter by | To see which features help people and which schemes people look for but can't find (so they can be added). Each record carries a random device ID, or your account ID if you are signed in, so that different people can be counted; only the most recent 1,500 of each kind are kept, and deleting your account removes your ID from them | Firestore |
| Anonymous counters (for example "a scheme page was opened", "the app was opened today") | To understand which features help people. These counters contain no name, e-mail, phone number or ID | Firestore (aggregated counters) |
| IP address | Used briefly to prevent abuse (rate limiting). For reports it is stored only as a one-way hash | Short-lived server memory |
The microphone is used only when you tap the mic button to speak a question, after your phone asks your permission. We never use your camera, location or contacts. We never ask for Aadhaar, PAN, bank account numbers or OTPs — please never share them in the app.
These providers process data only to provide their service to us. We do not share your personal data with anyone else, except if required by law.
If you have an account with an e-mail address and a saved profile, the app may e-mail you a reminder when a scheme that matches your profile is close to its last date, or when a new scheme for you is added. We do not send marketing or newsletters. You can turn e-mail reminders off in Profile → E-mail reminders, and phone notifications off in the app or in your phone settings.
The AI assistant can make mistakes. Always confirm details on the official government website linked in each answer. You can report any wrong, harmful or offensive AI answer from inside the app by pressing and holding the answer (or tapping ⋯ below it) and choosing Report a problem; reports are reviewed and used to improve the assistant.
Data is sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and stored with Google Firebase, which encrypts data at rest. Access to personal data is limited to authorised YojanaSahay personnel, who use it only to handle your support requests and reports and are bound to keep it confidential.
We keep your account data until you delete your account. Data saved only on your device stays there until you clear it, sign out or uninstall the app. Reports may be kept in anonymised form after account deletion so fixes are not lost.
Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you can ask to access, correct or erase your personal data, and withdraw consent. Most of this you can do yourself in the app (edit or delete your profile, delete your account). For anything else, e-mail us.
The app is meant for general audiences and is not directed at children under 13. Students may use it to find scholarships with a parent or guardian.
If this policy changes, we will update this page and the effective date, and mention important changes in the app.
Sahnawaz Ahmed Laskar (developer, YojanaSahay) · yojanasahayofficial@gmail.com