Terms of Service

Effective Date: March 31, 2026 Last Updated: March 31, 2026

Welcome to ISTA Vidya and ISTA Community, operated by ISTA Foundation ("we", "us", "our"), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Durgapur, West Bengal, India.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the ISTA Vidya app, ISTA Community app, istafoundation.in, and related services (collectively, the "Services"). By accessing or using our Services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our Services.

1. Accounts and Eligibility

• Users: The Services are designed for children (via ISTA Vidya) and parents/guardians/community members (via ISTA Community).
• Minors: Users under the age of 16 may only use the Services with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian. Parents/guardians are fully responsible for the activities of their children on the Services.
• Account Creation: You must provide accurate information when creating an account. Parents/guardians are responsible for managing and monitoring child accounts linked to theirs.
• Account Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

2. Description of Services

ISTA Vidya (Kids App): An educational app designed for children to learn English through interactive games, speech recognition exercises, quizzes, and guided learning experiences. Features include daily challenges, XP-based progression, and level advancement.

ISTA Community (Parent App): A companion app for parents and guardians to monitor their child's educational progress, manage parental controls, participate in community events, and access learning insights and reports.

3. User Conduct and Community Guidelines

We strive to maintain a safe, welcoming environment. You agree NOT to:

• Post, share, or transmit any content that is harmful, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
• Exploit, harm, or attempt to exploit or harm minors in any way
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services
• Use the Services for any purpose that violates applicable laws or regulations
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Services
• Use automated systems, bots, or scripts to access the Services

4. Moderation and Safety

To ensure user safety, especially for children, we employ safety mechanisms including:

• Parent-moderated account controls
• App blocking and usage monitoring features
• Active content moderation powered by AI tools and Human Agents
• Ability for children to block or remove users within permitted interactions

We reserve the right to review, flag, remove content, and suspend or terminate user accounts (including permanent bans) at our sole discretion, without notice, if we believe a user has violated these Terms or poses a risk to the community.

5. Children's Use

• The ISTA Vidya app is specifically designed for children and complies with the Google Play Families Policy
• Child accounts are created and managed exclusively by parents/guardians through the ISTA Community app
• To facilitate parental supervision (e.g., screen time limits, app blocking, web filtering, and location tracking), the ISTA Vidya app utilizes Android Background Services and Foreground Tasks. These features are strictly configured by the parent and are clearly disclosed to the child within the app.
• Location Accuracy: You acknowledge that the accuracy of location tracking depends on device hardware, GPS signal availability, and network connectivity. The Services are intended as a tool for parental peace of mind and are not a substitute for physical supervision or emergency services.
• Foreground Notifications: To remain compliant with system security and transparency standards, the app will display a persistent notification whenever background safety features (like location tracking) are active. This ensures the child is always aware that parental supervision is enabled.
• Children's interactions within the app are limited to educational content and do not include social features, user-generated content sharing, or direct communication with other users
• No advertisements are served to children within the ISTA Vidya app

6. Subscriptions and Payments

• Access to the Services may require an active subscription, which is managed through the parent's ISTA Community account
• Subscription pricing, billing cycles, and payment processing details will be communicated at the time of purchase
• All payments are processed through secure, industry-standard payment processors
• Refund requests are handled on a case-by-case basis; please contact us at istafoundation.in@gmail.com for assistance

7. Intellectual Property

All content, features, and functionality of the Services (including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, educational content, game designs, audio, and software) are owned by ISTA Foundation or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content without our prior written consent.

8. Privacy

Your use of the Services is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information, including children's information. By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

9. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

The Services are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, reliability, or availability of the Services.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ISTA Foundation and its affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the Services.

Educational Content Disclaimer: The educational content provided through ISTA Vidya is designed to supplement, not replace, formal education. We do not guarantee specific educational outcomes.

10. Account Termination

• You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using the account deletion features in the app.
• Data Deletion: When a parent account is terminated, all linked child data (including location history and progress) will be permanently deleted from our servers within 30 days.
• We may terminate or suspend your access immediately, without prior notice, for conduct that we determine violates these Terms or is harmful to other users or the Services.
• Upon termination, your right to use the Services will cease immediately

11. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved exclusively in the competent courts located in Durgapur, West Bengal, India.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of significant changes by posting the updated Terms within the app and updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Services after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect.

14. Contact Us

For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us:

• Email: istafoundation.in@gmail.com
• Website: istafoundation.in
• Address: ISTA Foundation, Durgapur, West Bengal, India