TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Code of Ethics, Membership Policies, Child Safeguarding Commitments, Disclaimers and Other Conditions

Effective Date: 07-JUL-2026 

Preamble

Playtos Youth Network (“PYN”) is founded to be the world’s first global youth influence network — a peer-led community where young people gain visibility, voice, and value. Guided by the principle Take the mic. Pass the mic. Grow the circle, PYN cultivates measurable Youth Influence Capital through stage time, leadership opportunities, and global peer connections. These Terms and Conditions establish the framework for participation, ensuring the Network remains safe, inclusive, and empowering for all youth members.

1. Code of Ethics

Upon acceptance to PYN, I agree to abide by the following Code of Ethics during the entire tenure of my participation in the organisation:

1.   I will treat all members, mentors, minors, and their families with honesty, dignity, and respect.
2.   I will act with integrity and good faith in all activities conducted under the PYN name.
3.   I will build goodwill and trust among fellow members, mentors, and the wider PYN community.
4.   I will take responsibility for following through on commitments I make within PYN, including to fellow members.
5.   I will display a positive, supportive, and inclusive attitude toward all members, regardless of background.
6.   Where I hold a professional qualification, I will uphold the ethical standards of my profession; where those standards are more stringent than this Code, the higher standard will prevail.
7.   As a core and non-negotiable condition of membership, I will at all times uphold the standards set out in PYN's Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy 
8.   when interacting with minor members, in any setting, online or offline.

2. General Membership Policies

2.1 Membership Structure

PYN operates through Circles. Membership categories include standard youth membership (minors aged 14–17 participating under PYN's under 18 Circle, and adults participating under PYN’s 18 to 21 circle. Leadership roles include Mentor, Circle Lead, Director, and Core Group member.

2.2 Circle Meetings and Attendance

1. Circle meetings will be held at the frequency and duration set by the Circle Lead/Directors and communicated to members in advance. Members should arrive on time and attend the entire meeting.
2. PYN meetings may be conducted offline, online (via a recognised virtual meeting platform), or in hybrid format, as decided by PYN.
3. Absences: a member is permitted a maximum of three (3) absences within a continuous six-month period. Repeated or unexplained absences beyond this may be reviewed by the Circle Lead/Directors, who may take appropriate decision including review of continued membership.
4. Leaves of absence (e.g. for medical reasons, examinations, or family emergencies) may be granted at the discretion of the Circle Lead/Directors upon request.

2.3 Leadership Roles

1. A person who wishes to hold a Leadership role (Mentor, Circle Lead, Director, must sign the PYN Leader Undertaking, complete the induction/training prescribed for that role, and satisfy the requirements of the Background Verification Standard Operating Procedure before commencing the role.
2. PYN's Directors/Core Team may, for failure to comply with these terms and conditions, the Code of Ethics, or the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, suspend or terminate an individual's membership or leadership role.

2.4 Events and Meeting Conduct

1. A member must not organise or conduct any meeting, gathering, or event involving other PYN members using the PYN name, without prior written permission from the Directors.
2. PYN is not liable for loss, damage, or theft of personal property at the venue of any meeting or event, except where caused by PYN's own proven negligence.

3. Intellectual Property

Members may not use PYN's intellectual property (including its name, logo, trademarks, slogans, and copyrighted materials) to manufacture, distribute, sell, market, or promote any product or service, or otherwise use such intellectual property, without the prior written consent of PYN. Any unauthorised use is the individual member's sole responsibility, and the member agrees to indemnify and hold harmless PYN, its Directors, Core Group, employees, and other members against any claims, liabilities, losses, damages, or costs (including legal costs) arising from such unauthorised use.

4. Background Verification (Leadership Roles)

Background verification is a core element of PYN's commitment to child protection under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. This Section summarises PYN's Background Verification Standard Operating Procedure ("BGV SOP"), which is incorporated into this Terms and conditions by reference and available in full to every Mentor, Circle Lead, Director, Core Group member, and any volunteer or guest facilitator with regular, direct, or unsupervised contact with minor members.

4.1 Scope and Verification Cycle

1. The BGV SOP applies to Mentors (all Circles), Circle Leads, Directors, Core Team, and volunteers or guest facilitators with regular, direct, or unsupervised contact with minor members. It does not apply to general members without a leadership or facilitation role.
2. Initial verification must be completed before an individual commences any role involving interaction with minors, and before signing the PYN Leader Undertaking.
3. Leaders must complete an annual refresh of their verification no later than 30 days before the expiry of their existing clearance.
4. Event-triggered re-verification is required immediately if a leader becomes subject to a safeguarding concern, police report, or complaint under the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy.

4.2 Components

A leader/core team member must satisfy EITHER (a) OR (b) below, in addition to identity verification, which is mandatory in every case:

 1. (a) Police verification Certificate (PVC): not older than 90 days at submission, covering the applicant's current residential address; 

OR

 1. (b) Reference Checks: a minimum of two professional or community references

AND

1. Identity Verification (mandatory in all cases): verification of a government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, or Voter ID), completed before any PVC or reference check is initiated.

4.3 Mandatory Reporting Acknowledgment

As part of the Leader Undertaking, every leader must explicitly acknowledge their individual, non-delegable mandatory reporting obligation under Section 19 of the POCSO Act, 2012. Completion of PYN's background verification process does not substitute for this personal legal obligation.

4.4 Non-Compliance

1. A leader who fails to complete or renew background verification within the required timelines will be suspended from any role involving contact with minor members pending completion.
2. Provision of false information during the background verification process will result in immediate termination of the individual's role and may be reported to the appropriate authorities.

5. Child Protection & Safeguarding

PYN is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all members, including minors aged 14–17. This Section summarises PYN's Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, which is incorporated into this terms and conditions by reference in full and applies to all Directors, Circle Leads, Mentors, Core Group members, volunteers, facilitators, and guest speakers, and any adult member of an 18–21 Circle who may interact with an exceptionally admitted minor member, whether in person or online, including via Circle meetings, retreats, workshops, and digital communication channels.

This Policy is framed with reference to the POCSO Act, 2012 and POCSO Rules, 2020 (including the mandatory reporting obligation under Section 19), the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and other applicable child welfare laws in India. Nothing in these terms and conditions limits or overrides any statutory obligation; where this Agreement conflicts with applicable law, the law prevails.

5.1 Code of Conduct for Adults Interacting with Minors

Required conduct: treat minors with dignity and fairness; maintain professional boundaries; communicate only through official, traceable PYN channels

Prohibited conduct: any physical contact that is not clearly appropriate, necessary, and consented to; any romantic, sexual, or suggestive communication, conduct, or gift-giving directed at a minor; sharing personal contact details or social media handles, or engaging in private/unsupervised online chats with a minor outside official PYN channels; photographing or recording a minor outside official, consented PYN activities, or sharing such material outside approved PYN channels; inappropriate language, jokes, or content in the presence of minors; and offering favours, special treatment, or gifts to a minor in exchange for secrecy or compliance.

5.2 Parental/Guardian Consent

Membership and participation of a minor in any PYN activity requires documented parental/guardian consent, including consent to communication through official channels, participation in events, and any photography or recording taken during official, consented PYN activities.

5.3 Training

All Directors, Circle Leads, and Mentors must read and sign an undertaking confirming their understanding of the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy as a condition of their role, and will receive periodic briefings on safeguarding practices aligned with the annual background verification cycle 

6. Membership of Minors

Where the applicant is a minor (aged 14–17), the terms and conditions must be followed by both the minor applicant and their parent/legal guardian.

The parent/guardian's signature constitutes consent to the minor's participation in PYN activities, for communication with the minor through official PYN channels for collection and processing of the minor's personal Data on the minor's behalf.

7. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

7.1 PYN reserves the right to suspend or terminate the membership of any individual  who, in PYN's reasonable judgment, misbehaves, is loud, offensive, uses profanity, harasses or is bothersome to other members, or otherwise behaves in a manner inconsistent with the Code of Ethics or the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy.

7.2 PYN may decline to admit, or may ask to leave, any individual found not to be in suitable health or condition to safely participate in an activity, at its reasonable discretion and with regard to the individual's wellbeing.

7.3 Except in respect of death, personal injury, or safeguarding harm caused by PYN's own negligence or wilful default — for which liability is not excluded or limited — PYN's total liability to a member arising out of or related to this Agreement or their membership or participation in PYN, however arising, will be limited to the amount of fees paid by that member in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

7.4 Except where restricted by applicable law, PYN will not be liable to any member or third party for indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special, or punitive damages.

7.5 No claim under this Agreement may be commenced more than one (1) year after it first accrued, except for claims relating to child safety or safeguarding, which are not subject to this time limitation and may be pursued in accordance with applicable law at any time.

8. Term and Termination

1. Membership begins on the date of acceptance and continues for the term specified at enrolment (e.g. one year), renewable in accordance with PYN's then-current renewal process.
2. PYN may suspend or terminate a membership, with or without notice as circumstances require, for breach of this Agreement, the Code of Ethics, the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, or the Background Verification SOP, or where continued membership would pose a risk to the safety of minor members.
3. Any misrepresentation or false statement discovered after acceptance may result in immediate termination at PYN's sole discretion, without reimbursement of fees paid, save as required by law.

9. Data Privacy

1. PYN collects and processes personal data (including, where applicable, a minor's personal data with parental/guardian consent) solely for the purposes of administering membership, running PYN activities, background verification of leaders, and safeguarding.
2. PYN will photograph and/or video-record members during official, PYN-sanctioned activities (including Circle meetings, retreats, workshops, and events) for use in PYN's own promotional materials and on PYN's official channels, website/social media channels 
3. Documents submitted as part of background verification (ID, Police Clearance Certificate, reference responses) are stored securely in a restricted-access location accessible only to the Background Verification Coordinator and Directors, are not shared with third parties except where required by law, and are retained for a minimum of three years following the end of the individual's involvement with PYN, after which they are securely destroyed.
4. Safeguarding records are retained securely for a period consistent with applicable legal requirements and reviewed periodically, and are accessible only to the Directors and the Internal Safeguarding Contact.
5. By submitting a membership application, a member (or their parent/guardian, where the member is a minor) agrees that PYN may share relevant information with Circle members, mentors, and service providers strictly as needed to deliver PYN's services, and consents to receive communications from PYN relating to membership and activities.

10. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

1. Any dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement, or a member's participation in PYN, will first be addressed through amicable discussion, and the parties will use reasonable efforts to resolve it within thirty (30) days of the dispute arising.
2. If a dispute is not resolved within that period, it will be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and any amendments thereto. The arbitration will be conducted in English by a sole arbitrator mutually appointed by the parties (or, failing agreement within 15 days, appointed in accordance with the Act). The seat and venue of arbitration will be Ahmedabad. The arbitral award will be final and binding on the parties, and the cost of arbitration will be borne by the party against whom the award is passed.
3. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. For any supervisory, injunctive, or specific-performance relief, this Agreement and any dispute arising from it are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ahmedabad, India.

11. Certification and Acceptance

I hereby declare that all statements contained in my membership application and accompanying documents are true and correct, and I understand that any misrepresentation or false statement/document may result in rejection of my application or, if discovered after acceptance, immediate termination of my membership at PYN's discretion, without reimbursement, save as required by law.

I confirm that I have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Agreement, including the Code of Ethics, General Membership Policies, Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, and Background Verification SOP referenced herein, copies of which I have received or had the opportunity to review. I acknowledge that a breach of these terms is grounds for termination of my membership.

Where I am applying for or hold a Leadership role (Mentor, Circle Lead, Director, or Core Team member), I additionally acknowledge my individual, non-delegable mandatory reporting obligation under Section 19 of the POCSO Act, 2012,

I understand and agree that upon acceptance, all fees are non-refundable without exception.