Cookie Policy & Web Telemetry Standards
Comprehensive disclosures detailing Kumaun Solar's privacy-first data architecture, minimal first-party session cookies, total absence of surveillance advertising scripts, and full compliance with India's DPDP Act, 2023.
Privacy-First Architecture: Kumaun Solar operates on a strict minimal-telemetry principle. Unlike commercial lead-generation farms, we do NOT embed third-party surveillance scripts, Meta/Facebook tracking pixels, Google remarketing cookies, or cross-site tracking beacons. Our lightweight PHP architecture uses only essential first-party session cookies required for portal security, CSRF protection, and district solar calculation persistence.
1. What Are Cookies and How Does Kumaun Solar Use Them?
A cookie is a small alphanumeric text file transmitted by a web server and stored locally on your computer, tablet, or smartphone browser. Cookies enable web applications to recognize a user device across distinct page requests, maintain secure session states, prevent cross-site request forgery, and store user preferences such as regional location settings.
At Kumaun Solar, cookies are never utilized to build behavioral advertising profiles or sell consumer browsing habits. We employ cookies strictly to facilitate legitimate technical functionality: verifying security tokens on quotation forms, remembering your selected Uttarakhand district (e.g., Nainital vs Udham Singh Nagar) during multi-step solar savings calculations, and safeguarding administrative logins against brute-force intrusion.
2. Comprehensive Inventory of First-Party Cookies
The table below outlines every single cookie deployed across the Kumaun Solar portal, including its technical name, operational purpose, lifespan, and security attributes:
| Cookie Name | Classification | Operational Purpose | Duration | Security Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID | Strictly Necessary | Maintains authenticated PHP application state and session identity across page loads. | Session (Expires on browser close) | HttpOnly, SameSite=Lax |
| ks_csrf_token | Security Token | Protects solar quotation and contact forms against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks. | Session (2 Hours) | HttpOnly, SameSite=Strict |
| ks_pref_district | Functional Preference | Stores user's chosen Uttarakhand district to auto-populate local solar radiation and UPCL tariff data. | 30 Days | SameSite=Lax |
| ks_calc_cache | Functional Cache | Temporarily stores multi-step calculator inputs so you do not lose entered bill numbers between tabs. | Session (4 Hours) | SameSite=Lax |
| ks_cookie_ack | Compliance Token | Records that the user has reviewed our privacy notice, suppressing redundant banner alerts. | 365 Days | SameSite=Lax |
3. Strict Prohibition of Third-Party Advertising & Profiling Trackers
Kumaun Solar explicitly bans third-party advertising tracking technologies from our codebase. Specifically:
- No Programmatic Advertising Cookies: We do not host Google DoubleClick, Criteo, Outbrain, or Taboola ad networks.
- No Social Media Surveillance Pixels: We do not embed Meta Pixel, TikTok tracking pixels, or LinkedIn Insight tags that harvest off-site consumer browsing behaviors.
- No Canvas or Device Fingerprinting: We do not deploy JavaScript scripts designed to extract canvas hashes, audio context signatures, or hardware device fingerprints.
- No Data Brokering: We never transmit telemetry, IP logs, or session identifiers to commercial data brokers or marketing syndicates.
4. User Control: How to Manage, Disable, or Clear Browser Cookies
You retain full autonomy to inspect, configure, restrict, or delete cookies at any time through your web browser preferences:
- Google Chrome: Navigate to Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies. You can block third-party cookies or configure site-specific permissions.
- Mozilla Firefox: Navigate to Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection. Select Strict mode to block cross-site tracking cookies.
- Apple Safari: Navigate to Preferences → Privacy. Check "Prevent cross-site tracking" and "Block all cookies".
- Microsoft Edge: Navigate to Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data.
Consequence of Disabling All Cookies: All educational technology articles, manufacturer catalogs, solar pricing indices, and district solar atlas pages will continue to render completely and smoothly with cookies disabled. However, dynamic features such as submitting a quotation request form or retaining calculator inputs across browser restarts may require temporary session cookies to function securely.
5. Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cookies
Why does Kumaun Solar not show an intrusive cookie consent popup?
Intrusive banner popups are legally required only when a website deploys non-essential, invasive third-party tracking or advertising cookies. Because Kumaun Solar utilizes strictly necessary first-party cookies essential for core site functionality and security, an intrusive opt-in modal is unnecessary, ensuring a clean, distraction-free reading experience.
Does Kumaun Solar share my browsing history with solar panel manufacturers?
No. None of our listed manufacturers (Tata Power Solar, Waaree, Adani, Vikram Solar, etc.) have tracking scripts on our portal. Your research and product comparisons remain 100% confidential and are never shared with any manufacturer unless you explicitly request a formal quotation for their equipment.
How long do your session cookies stay on my computer?
Essential session cookies (PHPSESSID and ks_csrf_token) automatically expire as soon as you close your browser or after two hours of inactivity. Only functional preference tokens (like your chosen district) persist for up to 30 days for convenience.
Can I delete all Kumaun Solar cookies right now?
Yes. Simply open your browser’s site settings, search for solar.kumaun.in or kumaun.in, and click "Clear data". This will instantly purge all stored local cookies from your machine.
Data Protection & Technical Inquiries:
Organization: Kumaun Solar (Cybersecurity & Compliance Team)
Corporate Address: First Floor, Karki Sadan, Opposite Female Hospital, Nainital Road, Haldwani, Uttarakhand – 263139, India.
Technical Support Email: info@kumaun.in
Telephone Helpline: 05946 222 223 (Monday – Saturday, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM IST)