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Cookie Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-12

This Cookie Policy explains how Shrutam uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our websites, particularly Shrutam Research (research.shrutam.com). We are committed to transparency and protecting your privacy.

1. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. Cookies can be "session cookies" (which are deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent cookies" (which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them).

2. The Only Cookie We Set: shrutam_session

At Shrutam, we believe in minimal data collection and tracking. Therefore, we set only one cookie across our entire service, and it is exclusively used for Shrutam Research (research.shrutam.com) when you sign in.

  • Cookie Name: shrutam_session
  • Purpose: This cookie is essential for maintaining your signed-in state on Shrutam Research. It allows you to navigate between pages and use authenticated features without needing to sign in repeatedly.
  • Contents: The shrutam_session cookie contains a cryptographically signed JSON Web Token (JWT), secured with the HS256 algorithm. This JWT uniquely identifies you as a signed-in student. It does NOT contain your password (as we don't store passwords) or any other sensitive personal data directly in plain text. It simply acts as a secure identifier for your active session.
  • Attributes:
    • httpOnly: This attribute prevents client-side scripts from accessing the cookie, enhancing security against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
    • Secure: This attribute ensures the cookie is only sent over encrypted HTTPS connections, protecting it from interception.
    • SameSite=Lax: This attribute helps protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks by limiting when the cookie is sent with cross-site requests.
    • Expiry: The cookie is set to expire after 30 days of inactivity. This means your session will remain active for 30 days from your last login, after which you will need to sign in again via magic link.

3. What We DO NOT Use Cookies For

We are very clear about what our cookie policy is NOT:

  • No Tracking Cookies: We do not use any cookies to track your browsing activity across different websites or over time.
  • No Advertising Cookies: We do not use cookies for targeted advertising, retargeting, or any form of ad delivery. Shrutam does not display advertisements.
  • No Third-Party Cookies: We do not allow third-party services to set cookies on our websites for their own tracking or advertising purposes.
  • No Analytics Cookies: We do not use cookies for analytics on either Shrutam Main or Shrutam Research. Our page-view analytics on Shrutam Main are collected in our own database and are anonymous, not linked to cookies.

4. Local Storage for Cookie Consent

When you first visit Shrutam, a cookie consent banner appears. Once you click "Got it" to dismiss this banner, we store a flag in your browser's localStorage (not a cookie). This flag simply remembers that you have acknowledged the banner, so it doesn't reappear on subsequent visits. This information is stored locally in your browser and is not transmitted to our servers or used for any other purpose.

5. How to Manage or Clear Cookies

You have control over the cookies stored on your device. You can manage or clear cookies through your web browser settings. Please note that if you clear the shrutam_session cookie, you will be logged out of Shrutam Research and will need to sign in again using a magic link.

Instructions for managing cookies in common browsers:

6. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected].