Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Meghalaya Rural Bank ("MRB", "the Bank", "we", "us", or "our") is a Regional Rural Bank, established under the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976, regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and supervised by NABARD.

We are committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers, website visitors, and all individuals who interact with us through our official website. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have in relation to your personal data.

By using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following information when you visit our website or interact with us online:

Information you provide to us:

• Name, address, date of birth, and contact details such as phone number and email address
• Financial information submitted through online application or enquiry forms
• Documents submitted for identity or account verification
• Complaints, feedback, or messages sent to us through the website

Information collected automatically:

• Your IP address, browser type, and device information
• Pages you visit on our website, time spent, and navigation patterns
• Cookies and similar technologies (explained in Section 6 below)

We collect only what is necessary for the purpose at hand and do not collect personal information indiscriminately.

3. Why We Collect Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide banking services and respond to your requests and enquiries
• To process applications and service requests submitted through the website
• To verify your identity and meet our Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements including those of the RBI, and obligations under applicable laws relating to anti-money laundering and financial crime prevention
• To detect and prevent fraud and unauthorized activity
• To improve our website and the quality of our digital services
• To send you important service-related communications and alerts

We do not use your personal information for unsolicited marketing or share it for commercial gain.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following grounds:

• Your consent, where you have voluntarily provided information for a specific purpose
• Legal and regulatory obligation, where processing is required by law or by direction of a competent authority such as the RBI, courts, or government bodies
• Contractual necessity, where processing is required to provide you with a banking service or to fulfill a request you have made
• Legitimate interest, to the extent necessary for fraud prevention, security, and the improvement of our services

5. Sharing of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We may share your information only in the following situations:

• With regulatory and government authorities such as the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, tax authorities, law enforcement agencies, or courts, where required by law
• With State Bank of India, our sponsor bank, for supervisory or operational purposes
• With service providers who assist us in running our operations — such as technology partners or payment processors — under strict confidentiality and data protection obligations
• With payment system operators such as NPCI in connection with transactions you initiate
• For fraud prevention, with other banks or financial institutions where legally permitted

Anyone we share your data with is required to handle it responsibly and only for the purpose for which it was shared.

6. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small files stored on your device — to help it function properly and to understand how it is being used. We use:

• Essential cookies that are necessary for the website to work
• Session cookies that expire automatically when you close your browser
• Analytics cookies that help us understand visitor behaviour in an anonymized way

We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect how some parts of the website work.

7. How We Protect Your Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously and have put in place appropriate technical and organizational measures, including:

• Encrypted connections (SSL/TLS) for data transmitted through the website
• Access controls to limit who within the Bank can access personal data
• Regular internal security reviews
• Staff obligations of confidentiality

While we take all reasonable precautions, no system is entirely immune to risk. You are advised never to share your account passwords, PINs, or OTPs with anyone, including persons claiming to be Bank staff.

8. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law and regulation. Once the retention period has passed, we securely delete or destroy the information.

Regulatory requirements — such as those under RBI guidelines and anti-money laundering laws — may require us to retain certain records for defined minimum periods.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Know what personal data we hold about you and how it is being used
• Request correction of any information that is inaccurate or incomplete
• Withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
• Request deletion of your personal data where it is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected, subject to any legal retention requirements
• Raise a complaint or grievance with us through our Grievance Officer

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 10 below.

10. Grievance Officer

If you have any concerns, complaints, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact our Grievance Officer:

We will acknowledge your grievance within 48 hours and endeavour to resolve it within 30 days of receipt.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites such as government portals or partner platforms. This Privacy Policy does not extend to those websites. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

12. Children

Our website and digital services are not intended for use by children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, please contact our Grievance Officer and we will delete it promptly.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date at the top. We encourage you to check this page periodically. Continued use of the website after changes are posted will be taken as acceptance of the revised Policy.

14. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India. Any disputes arising in connection with this Policy shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts at Shillong, Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Rural Bank is a Regional Rural Bank sponsored by State Bank of India, regulated by the Reserve Bank of India and supervised by NABARD.