Data Retention, Archival & Digital Erasure Schedule
Comprehensive governance protocols detailing the storage duration, cryptographic security, statutory archival limits, and secure cryptographic purging procedures for customer, utility, and engineering records.
Record Governance Principles: In accordance with Section 8(7) of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, personal data must not be retained beyond the time necessary for the specific purpose for which it was collected. Kumaun Solar enforces automated retention limits, systematic data minimization, and complete cryptographic destruction protocols across our physical and digital infrastructure.
1. Comprehensive Data Retention Schedule by Category
Different classes of solar engineering, utility, and consumer information are retained for varying periods based on operational utility, equipment warranty lifespans, and statutory Indian legal obligations:
| Record Classification | Data Elements Retained | Retention Duration | Disposal / Purging Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Inquiries & Sizing Drafts | Name, mobile number, district, estimated rooftop area, indicative calculation results. | 90 Days from submission | Automated database purge with cryptographic overwrite. |
| Detailed Feasibility Audits | Site photographs, 3D shadow models, UPCL sanctioned load metrics, bill history. | 24 Months from survey | Secure digital shredding of CAD files and customer contact records. |
| Executed EPC Project Contracts | Signed contracts, electrical SLD drawings, structural civil engineering stamps, equipment serials. | 25 to 30 Years (Warranty Lifespan) | Archived in encrypted offline cold storage; purged upon warranty expiry. |
| Financial & GST Invoices | Tax invoices, payment receipts, bank transaction references, GSTN records. | 8 Financial Years | Mandated by Section 36 of GST Act / Section 44AA of Income Tax Act. |
| Subsidy Bank Proofs | Canceled cheque copies, bank IFSC details, National Portal submission logs. | 60 Days following DBT credit | Permanent hard deletion immediately upon verified subsidy receipt. |
| Server Security Access Logs | IP addresses, user agent strings, API rate-limit counters, firewall drop logs. | 180 Days | Rotated and overwritten automatically in accordance with CERT-In directions. |
2. Technical Safeguards & Cryptographic Architecture
To ensure that archived records cannot be breached, manipulated, or extracted by unauthorized entities, Kumaun Solar implements defense-in-depth security standards:
- Storage-Level Encryption: All persistent database storage volumes and object archives are encrypted using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys (FIPS 140-2 validated).
- Access Segmentation: Field engineers possess restricted, time-bound access strictly to their assigned project sites. Personnel cannot query or export central customer repositories.
- Immutable Audit Logging: Every administrative database query, status change, and file download is written to write-once, read-many (WORM) audit logs, preventing internal tampering or unauthorized record alterations.
3. Procedure for Requesting Early Record Erasure
Consumers and commercial clients retain the legal right under Section 12 of the DPDP Act 2023 to request early erasure of their personal information prior to the standard retention schedules. To initiate a data erasure request:
- Transmit a formal written request via email to our Data Protection Officer at info@kumaun.in from the same email address registered during your inquiry or project contract.
- Include the subject line: "DPDP Section 12 - Data Erasure Request" along with your full name, registered phone number, and UPCL Service Connection Number (if applicable).
- Our compliance desk performs identity verification and issues a written confirmation receipt within seventy-two (72) hours.
- All non-statutory records (inquiries, phone logs, survey drafts) are permanently purged across all live and backup database servers within thirty (30) calendar days. A formal Certificate of Digital Erasure is issued to the applicant.
4. Statutory Exceptions to Immediate Erasure
Under Indian law, certain records cannot be prematurely erased even upon customer request until the statutory retention period has elapsed. Specifically, GST tax invoices, official financial books of account, signed building structural stability certificates, and records subject to pending litigation or formal regulatory investigations under the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) must be preserved in accordance with statutory requirements.
5. Frequently Asked Data Retention Questions
Why do you retain solar project engineering records for 25 years?
Tier-1 solar modules installed on your property carry 25-to-30-year manufacturer linear power performance warranties. Retaining your single-line electrical diagrams (SLD), structural anchoring certifications, and module serial number barcodes ensures that if a panel degrades prematurely in Year 15 or Year 22, Kumaun Solar can immediately support you in filing a successful warranty replacement claim with the manufacturer.
What happens to my canceled cheque copy after my PM Surya Ghar subsidy is received?
Your canceled cheque and bank passbook copies are used solely to populate the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) claim on the National Solar Portal. Within sixty (60) days after Central subsidy credit is successfully confirmed in your account, all banking document scans are permanently shredded and deleted from our active database.
If I request data erasure, will it void my solar equipment warranty?
No. Your manufacturer product warranty is directly tied to the physical serial numbers of the panels and inverters registered with the OEM (e.g. Tata Power Solar, Waaree). When you request personal data erasure, we retain only anonymized equipment serial number logs required for warranty validation, while scrubbing your personal contact details from our marketing and general databases.
How are physical site survey drawings and paper records destroyed?
Physical site measurement drafts and preliminary survey notes are digitized and immediately shredded using cross-cut industrial paper shredders (DIN 66399 Level P-4 standard) at our Haldwani engineering headquarters to ensure zero physical document leaks.
Data Protection & Record Retention Registry:
Entity: Kumaun Solar Legal & Data Governance Wing
Corporate Address: First Floor, Karki Sadan, Opposite Female Hospital, Nainital Road, Haldwani, Uttarakhand – 263139, India.
Data Protection Officer Email: info@kumaun.in
Official Telephonic Line: 05946 222 223 (Operating Hours: Mon–Sat 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM IST)