Terms & conditions

BadaMangal is a community initiative documenting Bada Mangal bhandaras in Lucknow. Volunteers help by spotting bhandaras on Tuesdays, verifying organizer phone numbers, photographing banners, and supporting community coordination on WhatsApp. This is a community seva arrangement, not employment, agency, partnership, or contractor engagement.

You must be 18 years of age or older (per § 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, which voids contracts entered into by minors) and currently resident in or familiar with Lucknow district. By submitting the signup form you confirm both.

At signup we collect:

• Name: for coordination and ID card
• WhatsApp phone number: for delivery of your volunteer code and weekly Tuesday plans
• Areas you can cover: for team assignment

After your first call with us, you may additionally share:

• A photograph for your ID card
• Postal address for ID card delivery
• Last four digits of any government photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence) as a trust signal. We never ask for or store the full ID number.
• Year of birth for the 18+ check
• Emergency contact name and number

Purpose limitation: we use this data solely for the volunteer-coordination purposes described in these terms. We do not sell, rent, or share it with third parties.

Retention: we retain your data for 24 months after your last activity with the programme (i.e. last submission or last response on the coordination channel, whichever is most recent). After that we delete it, except records we are statutorily required to retain.

Your rights under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: you have the right to (a) access your data, (b) correct inaccuracies, (c) request deletion, (d) nominate someone to act on your behalf, and (e) grievance redressal. Contact details for our Grievance Officer are in § 12 below.

By signing up, you consent to receive WhatsApp messages from the BadaMangal coordination number for (a) sending your volunteer code, (b) sharing weekly Tuesday plans, and (c) live coordination during a Bada Mangal Tuesday.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. Opting out does not require you to delete your volunteer record; it simply pauses outbound coordination.

Photographs, videos, captions, location pins, and other content you capture during seva activities for the programme may be used by BadaMangal on its website (badamangal.com), social media channels, press materials, sponsor pitches, physical pamphlets, and any other community-purpose surface.

You retain ownership and copyright in your photographs. You grant BadaMangal a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, publish, display, and distribute such content for community purposes connected to the BadaMangal programme. Your moral rights of attribution and integrity under § 57 of the Copyright Act, 1957 are preserved.

Photographs featuring identifiable individuals: if a photograph prominently features an identifiable adult, please obtain their verbal consent before submission. If a photograph features an identifiable minor, you must obtain verbal consent from a parent or guardian before submission (we recommend not photographing minors closely; wide shots of crowds are fine). BadaMangal will remove any photograph from its surfaces within seven (7) days of a written request from the depicted person or their guardian.

Every volunteer agrees to:

• Be respectful to organizers, community members, and other volunteers, regardless of caste, religion, gender, or social standing
• Use the volunteer code only for genuine submissions; fake, fabricated, duplicate, or speculative submissions are grounds for suspension
• Not impersonate other volunteers, organizers, BadaMangal staff, or any third party
• Not spam community WhatsApp groups, not contact organizers outside the coordination channel, and not collect payment from any organizer under BadaMangal's name
• Comply with applicable Indian law, including but not limited to § 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (prohibiting transmission of obscene content), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012

BadaMangal may suspend or terminate your participation at our discretion, including for:

• Conduct violations under § 6
• Failure to verify your WhatsApp number
• Inactivity for eight (8) or more consecutive Tuesdays during a Bada Mangal season
• A pattern of low-quality or duplicate submissions
• Any conduct that brings the programme into disrepute

Natural justice: where reasonably possible, we will communicate the reason for suspension on the coordination channel and provide an opportunity to respond before any final termination.

You may opt out at any time by sending a WhatsApp message to the coordination number. There is no notice period and no penalty.

Seva participation involves walking, riding two- wheelers, photographing, and interacting with community members in public spaces. You participate at your own risk.

Save and except for direct losses arising from BadaMangal's gross negligence or wilful misconduct, BadaMangal shall not be liable for:

• Personal injury, accident, or health issues during seva
• Loss or damage of personal belongings (phone, scooter, camera, etc.)
• Disputes between you and any organizer, community member, or third party
• Any indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or incidental damages

Please take normal urban-mobility precautions: a helmet if you ride a two-wheeler, situational awareness in crowds, and your own medical/accident insurance. The above limitation is intended to allocate ordinary risks of public participation; it does not purport to disclaim liability that cannot be disclaimed under Indian law.

You agree to indemnify and hold BadaMangal harmless from any claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of (a) your breach of these terms, (b) your breach of any applicable law during seva, (c) any false, misleading, or infringing content you submit, or (d) any claim by a third party arising from your conduct during the programme.

The BadaMangal volunteer programme is exclusively for adults aged 18 and over. Bhandaras themselves are public events open to all ages, but the coordination, travel, and operational decisions of the volunteer programme are not appropriate for minors.

BadaMangal may update these terms from time to time. Where a change is material, including but not limited to changes to data collection, retention, or your rights, we will provide at least fourteen (14) days' advance notice via WhatsApp to active volunteers and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued participation after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

For any question, opt-out request, data deletion request, photo takedown request, or grievance related to your data, write to:

Prateek Saini · Grievance Officer
BadaMangal · Lucknow
Email: namaste@badamangal.com
WhatsApp: the BadaMangal coordination number you received your volunteer code from

We will acknowledge any request within seven (7) business days and resolve it within thirty (30) days, in line with DPDP Act timelines.

Entire agreement. These terms constitute the entire agreement between you and BadaMangal regarding your participation in the volunteer programme, and supersede any prior oral or written understandings.

Severability. If any provision of these terms is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

No third-party beneficiaries. These terms create rights and obligations only between you and BadaMangal. No third party is a beneficiary.

Assignment. You may not assign your participation rights. BadaMangal may assign these terms in connection with a transfer of the programme to a successor entity, subject to materially equivalent protections for volunteers.

Force majeure. Neither party is liable for failure to perform due to causes beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government action, or telecommunications outages.

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute through good-faith discussion on the coordination channel for thirty (30) days before initiating any legal proceedings.