Terms & Conditions

By accessing, browsing, submitting forms on, or interacting with vsf.org.in (the "Website"), or participating in our plantation drives, making donations, or applying for membership, you unconditionally agree to be legally bound by these Terms & Conditions, our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Legal Disclaimer. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you must immediately cease accessing the Website and participating in our activities.

1. Non-Profit Character & Statutory Objects

Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for public charitable and environmental purposes including afforestation, native tree plantation, sapling nurturing, water conservation, environmental awareness, biodiversity protection, and sustainable rural development. No part of the Foundation’s net earnings or assets inures to the private benefit of any trustee, member, or private individual.

2. Membership & Volunteering: Zero Employer-Employee Relationship

To prevent any misunderstanding or unlawful labor/contractual claims, the following terms govern all volunteer and membership tiers (including सदस्य - Free Member, सहयोगी सदस्य - Contributing Member, निसर्ग रक्षक, and पदाधिकारी / कार्यकारी):

• Purely Voluntary Civic Association: All memberships and volunteer positions are strictly voluntary civic engagements driven by personal dedication to environmental causes.
• No Employment, Agency, or Partnership: Neither registration on this Website, issuance of a Digital ID Card, receipt of a Certificate of Honor, nor appointment to any advisory or coordination role creates an employer-employee relationship, master-servant relationship, partnership, joint venture, or agency between you and the Foundation.
• No Entitlement to Wages or Severance: Members and volunteers are not employees and have no claim whatsoever to salary, wages, minimum wage, honorarium, bonus, gratuity, severance pay, provident fund, insurance compensation, or statutory employment benefits.
• Zero Commercial Agency: No member, volunteer, or donor possesses any authority to enter into contracts, incur debts, bind the Foundation legally or financially, or execute agreements on behalf of the Foundation without explicit, written, sealed authorization from the Board of Trustees.

3. Membership Screening, Code of Conduct & Termination Rights

The Foundation is committed to absolute integrity, transparency, and public trust. Accordingly:

• Absolute Discretion in Acceptance: Submission of a membership form does not guarantee admission or retention. The Foundation reserves the absolute, unfettered right to approve, reject, or verify any applicant.
• Strict Code of Conduct: All members and volunteers must act in harmony with our environmental ethos. Misbehavior, hate speech, political lobbying under the Foundation's banner, financial misappropriation, sexual harassment, or unlawful acts are strictly prohibited.
• Revocation Without Refund: The Foundation reserves the unilateral right to suspend, cancel, or permanently revoke any membership, ID card, or volunteer role for conduct detrimental to the Foundation's reputation or objectives. In cases of revocation for misconduct, any voluntary contribution or membership fee previously remitted is strictly forfeited and non-refundable.

4. Prohibition of Unauthorized Representation & Public Statements

No member, volunteer, contributor, or third party is permitted to represent themselves as an official spokesperson, negotiate with government or private entities, issue press releases, collect cash donations, or open bank accounts in the name of "Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation" without prior written resolution from the Founder / President (Shri Uttam Parshuram Shinde) and the Board of Trustees. Any unauthorized act shall be deemed a breach of trust and subject to civil and criminal legal action under Indian law.

5. Donations, Contributions & Official Bank Account Verification

The Foundation relies on voluntary contributions to fund saplings, tree guards, irrigation, and field work. All donors must strictly adhere to the following financial safeguards:

• Voluntary and Irrevocable: All donations and contributing membership contributions are voluntary gifts made without expectation of commercial return, dividend, or personal consideration. Once executed, donations are non-refundable (subject strictly to our Refund Policy).
• Official Bank Account Verification: All official payments must be routed exclusively to the Foundation's designated bank account. Donors must verify that the beneficiary name displays as "Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation":
  • Account Name: Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation
  • Account Number: 50200122338250
  • Bank & Branch: HDFC Bank, Kalamboli Branch
  • IFSC Code: HDFC0002822
  • UPI ID: vyapar.177870072013@hdfcbank
• Fraud / Third-Party Warning: The Foundation never authorizes individuals or third parties to collect cash or route donations to personal bank accounts. We bear zero liability for funds transferred to unverified personal accounts, fraudulent links, or unauthorized representatives.
• Domestic Donations Only (FCRA Declaration): In strict compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the Foundation strictly accepts donations in Indian National Rupees (INR) originating from Indian domestic bank accounts and lawful Indian sources. Foreign contributions from non-Indian sources or foreign accounts are strictly prohibited unless and until statutory FCRA approvals are held.
• Lawful Source of Funds: The donor certifies that all funds donated are derived from lawful sources under Indian law and do not violate the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

6. Field Activities & Comprehensive Physical Safety Waiver

Participation in outdoor activities, including tree plantation drives, forest trails, seedling transport, tool handling, and maintenance visits, involves inherent physical and environmental conditions:

• Voluntary Assumption of Risk: Participants, volunteers, and visitors participate entirely at their own discretion, judgment, and risk. Natural elements, weather conditions, uneven terrain, fauna, insects, dust, and physical exertion are natural factors of outdoor fieldwork.
• Complete Waiver and Release: You hereby expressly, unconditionally release, waive, discharge, and hold harmless Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation, its Founder, Trustees, coordinators, and fellow volunteers from any and all claims, liabilities, lawsuits, demands, medical expenses, or damages arising out of personal injury, illness, accident, animal/insect bites, property loss, or vehicular mishaps during field drives or travel to/from event locations.
• Medical Fitness: Participants are responsible for evaluating their personal medical fitness, carrying necessary personal medicines, hydration, protective footwear, and sun protection.
• Minor Participation: Any minor child (under 18 years) attending a field activity must be accompanied and supervised at all times by a parent or legal guardian, who assumes sole responsibility for the child’s safety.

7. Intellectual Property & Website Content Ownership

All intellectual property rights in vsf.org.in, including but not limited to the organizational name, logo, emblem, slogans (such as "एकच लक्ष, निसर्ग समृद्ध भारत"), website layout, graphical designs, original text, photographic documentation, video productions, and branding collateral, are the exclusive property of Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation protected under Indian Copyright and Trademark laws.

No user may copy, modify, republish, distribute, sell, or commercially exploit any website asset without prior express written consent from the Foundation. Non-commercial, educational sharing for environmental awareness is permitted provided clear attribution to vsf.org.in is retained.

8. Photography, Video Documentation & Media Consent

By attending our public plantation events, community meetings, or awareness drives, or by submitting photographs for official ID cards and certificates, you grant the Foundation an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and publish such photographic and video documentation on our Website, social media handles, educational brochures, and annual audit reports solely for non-profit awareness and transparency purposes.

9. Public Member Directory Listings & Privacy Shield

In line with our transparency commitments, members voluntarily registering through /join-us/ consent to their name, tier, and home district being cataloged in official honor rolls/directories (such as /members/, /contributing-members/, and /nisarga-rakshak/). In accordance with our Privacy Shield, personal phone numbers, detailed residential door/flat numbers, and personal financial data are strictly protected and will never be made public.

10. Prohibited Activities on Website

Users shall not:

• Submit fabricated, fictitious, or forged personal identities, mobile numbers, or transaction UTR numbers.
• Deploy automated bots, crawlers, spiders, or scrapers to harvest data, bypass honeypots, or disrupt server operations.
• Transmit malicious code, viruses, Trojan horses, or any technological material that could compromise website security or user privacy.
• Post defamatory, abusive, threatening, obscene, or racially/religiously offensive material in form feedback or comment areas.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties ("As Is" and "As Available")

The Website and all information, content, and materials available thereon are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. The Foundation makes no representations or warranties regarding uninterrupted availability, error-free operation, or the absolute accuracy of every third-party ecological article or external reference link.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Indian law, under no circumstances shall Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation, its Trustees, officers, volunteers, or web administrators be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of goodwill, system downtime, transaction delays, or personal injury, arising out of or in connection with the use or inability to use this Website or participation in Foundation programs.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Vasundhara Samruddhi Foundation, its Trustees, agents, and coordinators from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and legal fees arising from or related to your violation of these Terms & Conditions, your misuse of the Website, your unauthorized public statements or financial solicitations, or your infringement of any intellectual property or privacy rights of any third party.

14. Severability & Entire Agreement

These Terms & Conditions, alongside our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Legal Disclaimer, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Foundation regarding Website usage and participation. If any provision of these terms is deemed unlawful, void, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed without affecting the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

15. Governing Law, Dispute Resolution & Exclusive Jurisdiction

These Terms & Conditions and all relationships between users and the Foundation shall be governed exclusively by the substantive and procedural laws of the Republic of India.

• Mandatory Amicable Negotiation: In the event of any dispute, claim, or difference of opinion arising out of or in connection with these terms, the parties agree to first attempt resolution through good-faith mutual discussion with the Foundation's Board of Trustees for a minimum period of 30 business days.
• Exclusive Territorial Jurisdiction: If the dispute cannot be amicably resolved, all legal proceedings, suits, or arbitrations shall be subject to the exclusive territorial jurisdiction of the competent courts located in Panvel / Raigad / Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. All other jurisdictions are explicitly waived and excluded.