Hoon Maritime Institute (www.hoon.co.in) - Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Hoon Maritime Institute (Kolkata and Noida), operating under Shri Hari Nath Hoon Educational Trust, collects, uses, stores, protects, and discloses personal information obtained through www.hoon.co.in (including any pages previously accessible through www.hmikolkata.com).

We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information of our students, candidates, trainees, medical examinees, visitors, and website users.

By using our website or submitting information to us, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Hoon Maritime Institute (Kolkata and Noida) Under Shri Hari Nath Hoon Educational Trust

Website: www.hoon.co.in

Kolkata Campus: hmi.kolkata@hoon.co.in

Noida Campus: hmi.noida@hoon.co.in

This policy applies to all services offered through our website, including maritime training, course booking, student registration, document verification, communication, and related services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

A. Identity and Personal Details

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Photograph
• Nationality
• Others as applicable

B. Contact Details

• Mobile number
• Email address
• Postal address
• Emergency contact details

C. Educational and Professional Information

• Educational qualifications
• Maritime qualifications and certificates
• CDC details
• Passport details
• INDOS number
• DG Shipping-related information
• Sea service details
• Employer or company details

D. Documents Submitted for Eligibility and Compliance

Depending on the course, examination, medical, or regulatory requirement, we may collect copies of:

• Passport
• CDC
• INDOS certificate
• Medical certificates
• Educational certificates
• Discharge book entries
• Government-issued identity documents
• Photographs
• Any other documents required by DG Shipping, approved authorities, examination bodies, or applicable law

E. Technical and Website Usage Information

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device information
• Pages visited
• Time spent on pages
• Referring website
• Cookies and analytics data

F. Communication Records

• Emails
• WhatsApp messages
• Telephone calls
• Enquiry forms
• Feedback, surveys, and support requests

3. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and process personal information for the following purposes:

• To process course enquiries, registrations, bookings, and payments.
• To verify eligibility for maritime courses, examinations, and certifications.
• To comply with requirements of the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), Government of India, and other competent authorities.
• To maintain student, trainee, and candidate records.
• To issue certificates, reports, receipts, and related documents.
• To communicate important information regarding batches, schedules, examinations, cancellations, refunds, and regulatory updates.
• To improve our courses, services, website, and user experience.
• To conduct internal audits, quality assurance, and compliance checks.
• To prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, or other unlawful activities.
• To send promotional or informational communications where permitted by law or where you have not opted out.
• We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal information based on one or more of the following:

• Your consent
• Performance of a contract or service requested by you
• Compliance with legal or regulatory obligations
• Legitimate interests relating to administration, security, service improvement, and fraud prevention
• Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time, subject to legal and operational limitations.

5. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information only with:

• DG Shipping, Government of India
• Approved maritime authorities
• Examination and certification bodies
• Medical or compliance authorities where applicable
• Payment gateway and banking service providers
• IT, cloud hosting, SMS, email, and communication service providers
• Auditors, legal advisors, and regulatory authorities
• Courts or government agencies when required by law

Such sharing is limited to the information necessary for the relevant purpose.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for:

• Course administration
• Certification and record keeping
• DG Shipping or other regulatory requirements
• Accounting and taxation purposes
• Legal claims, dispute resolution, or compliance obligations

When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymized, or destroyed in accordance with our retention practices.

7. Security of Your Information

We implement reasonable physical, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.

These measures may include:

• Restricted access to records
• Password-protected systems
• Secure servers and hosting
• Encryption where appropriate
• Staff confidentiality obligations
• Regular monitoring and security practices

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure.

8. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember user preferences
• Analyze website traffic
• Improve website performance
• Measure the effectiveness of advertisements and campaigns

We may use analytics and advertising services such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram) tools, and similar platforms.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain website features.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of those websites. You should review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

10. Your Rights

Subject to applicable Indian law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request updating of information
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Request erasure of information that is no longer necessary, subject to legal and regulatory requirements
• Opt out of promotional communications
• To exercise these rights, please contact the relevant campus.

Kolkata Campus: hmi.kolkata@hoon.co.in

Noida Campus: hmi.noida@hoon.co.in

We may require reasonable verification of identity before acting on your request.

11. Children and Minors

Our services are primarily intended for individuals eligible for maritime training and related services. Where information of a minor is collected for a permitted purpose, it should be provided by a parent, guardian, or authorized representative.

12. International Transfers

If any of our technology or service providers store or process information outside India, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that such processing is subject to appropriate safeguards and applicable legal requirements.

13. Contact Us

For any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact:

Hoon Maritime Institute (Kolkata and Noida) Under Shri Hari Nath Hoon Educational Trust

• Website: www.hoon.co.in
• Kolkata Campus: hmi.kolkata@hoon.co.in
• Noida Campus: hmi.noida@hoon.co.in

14. Policy Updates and Disclaimer

Hoon Maritime Institute may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, technology, legal requirements, regulatory obligations, or DG Shipping compliance requirements.

The latest version of the Privacy Policy will always be available on www.hoon.co.in. Continued use of our website or services after any such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide general information regarding how we handle personal information and does not create any contractual rights beyond those provided under applicable law.