Privacy policy
This is a plain-language summary of how personal data is handled on the platform. It is written to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its Rules. It is a product document pending counsel review, not a legal instrument.
What we collect, and why
| Who | Data | Purpose | Kept for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors | Name, registration, qualifications, practice details, contact for OTP, identity evidence | Verifying and publishing a professional profile | While the profile exists, then 3 years for audit |
| Reviewers | Name, mobile and email, review content, private proof of consultation (required) | Publishing first-hand reviews and validating evidence | Proof deleted 90 days after moderation; review while published |
| Visitors | Search terms, pages viewed, contact actions taken | Improving discovery and measuring whether people reach a doctor | Aggregated after 13 months |
What we do not collect
We do not collect diagnoses, prescriptions, reports or treatment records. Reviewers are warned not to include them and moderators redact them. Identity documents and proof of visit are private evidence and never appear on a public page.
Cookies and analytics
The site sets one cookie of its own that it needs to work: tdi_consent, which remembers whether you allowed analytics, for 180 days. Signing in sets a session cookie, only if you sign in.
With your permission, we use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages help people reach a doctor. It sets the _ga cookies and sends Google the page address, the page that referred you and the page title. It is not sent which doctor you enquired about, what you searched for or anything you type into a form. Advertising features are switched off.
Until you choose Allow analytics, the analytics script is not loaded at all. You can change your answer at any time from Cookie settings at the foot of every page; declining removes the analytics cookies from your browser.
Your rights
- Access, correct, complete and update your data.
- Withdraw consent as easily as you gave it.
- Ask for erasure, subject to the retention schedule above.
- Nominate someone to exercise these rights for you.
- Raise a grievance with the named officer, and escalate to the Data Protection Board.
Contact
Grievance officer: grievance@thedoctorindex.in. Acknowledged within 24 hours. See the grievance process.