Disclaimer 1

DISCLAIMER — PROJECT LEADERSHIP & ROLE CLARIFICATION

Project Director: Surjit Singha, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University)
Project Co-Director: Ranjit Singha, (Ph.D.), Ph.D. Research Fellow, CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

1. Nature of the Roles
The designations "Project Director" and "Project Co-Director" are conferred purely on a voluntary, honorary, and academic basis, in connection with this specific project/publication undertaken with The Native Tribe (TNT). These designations:

a) Do not constitute employment, appointment, engagement, or contract of service/for service, whether full-time, part-time, temporary, or otherwise, with TNT or any of its associates, partners, or affiliates;

b) Do not create any employer-employee, principal-agent, or master-servant relationship between the named individuals and TNT;

c) Do not in any manner affect, alter, supersede, or interfere with the named individuals' substantive positions as Associate Professor at Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University) and Ph.D. Research Fellow at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), respectively, which remain wholly unaffected and take precedence;

d) Involve no financial remuneration, salary, honorarium, stipend, consultancy fee, or other monetary or non-monetary consideration payable by either party, and no financial, commercial, or pecuniary motive is associated with these roles;

e) Are limited strictly to the scope, subject matter, and duration of this specific project/publication and do not extend beyond it absent a separate written agreement.

2. No Conflict of Interest
The named individuals confirm that their participation is undertaken in their personal academic capacity and does not, to the best of their knowledge, conflict with any outside-engagement, consultancy, or professional-conduct policy of their respective institutions. Nothing herein authorizes either individual to represent, bind, or speak on behalf of their employing/affiliated institution in connection with this project, and no such institutional endorsement should be inferred.

3. No Waiver or Prejudice to Employment/Academic Status
Nothing contained in this project, its publication, or any related communication shall be construed as a resignation, secondment, deputation, or relinquishment of the named individuals' substantive academic posts. No third party — including employing institutions, statutory or regulatory bodies, funding agencies, or academic councils — may draw any adverse inference regarding either individual's employment status, tenure, doctoral candidature, or academic standing from their voluntary participation in this project.

4. Indemnification and Limitation of Liability
TNT shall not be liable for any action, claim, or consequence arising from the named individuals' primary employment or academic obligations, and the named individuals shall not be personally liable for the commercial operations, publishing decisions, or business conduct of TNT beyond the academic/editorial contribution voluntarily rendered by them. Each party's liability, if any, is limited strictly to matters within their respective, defined role.

5. Intellectual Property and Authorship
Any academic or editorial contribution made by the named individuals in their voluntary capacity shall be credited appropriately as per standard academic authorship/acknowledgment norms, and such credit does not, by itself, transfer any employment right, royalty entitlement, or proprietary claim to either party beyond what is separately and expressly agreed in writing.

6. Data Protection
The personal and professional details of the named individuals (name, designation, institutional affiliation) are published solely with their consent for the limited purpose of this project/publication, in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Such information shall not be used for any unrelated commercial purpose, and any unauthorized use, alteration, or misrepresentation of this data may attract liability under applicable data protection and information technology law.

7. Consequences for Misrepresentation, Intimidation, or Misinformation by Third Parties
Any person or entity that knowingly makes, publishes, circulates, or communicates a false, misleading, or malicious statement regarding the roles, employment status, remuneration, or conduct of the named individuals in connection with this project — or who threatens, harasses, or intimidates either individual on account of their voluntary participation herein — may be liable under applicable Indian law, including but not limited to:

• Section 356, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (defamation — replacing Sections 499/500, IPC, 1860), punishable with simple imprisonment up to two years, or fine, or both;

• Section 351, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (criminal intimidation — replacing Sections 503/506, IPC, 1860), covering threats to person, reputation, or property, including via anonymous or digital communication;

• Civil liability for defamation and malicious falsehood under common law, entitling the aggrieved party to claim damages;

• Section 111, Information Technology Act, 2000 and related provisions, where such statements are published or circulated through electronic or digital means;

• Such other civil or criminal remedies as may be available under Indian law.

8. Right to Legal Recourse
TNT and/or the named individuals reserve the right to pursue all available civil and criminal remedies, including but not limited to filing a complaint before the appropriate Magistrate or police authority under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, against any party found to be disseminating misinformation, misrepresentation, or defamatory/intimidating content concerning the nature, terms, or existence of these voluntary academic roles.

9. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This disclaimer shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute arising herefrom shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in India.

10. Severability
Should any clause of this disclaimer be held invalid or unenforceable by a competent court, the remaining clauses shall continue in full force and effect.