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Publishing Policy

Effective Date: June 30, 2025

Last Reviewed: June 30, 2025

Issued by: Legal & Editorial Governance Division, Sramana Publications

 

 

 

1. Purpose & Legal Standing

This Publishing Policy serves as a legally binding framework governing the submission, evaluation, acceptance, publication, distribution, and withdrawal of all literary and intellectual works submitted to Sramana Publications, hereinafter “Sramana.” This policy is enforceable under applicable intellectual property, privacy, and content regulation laws across multiple jurisdictions, including but not limited to:

 

  • Indian Copyright Act, 1957

  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India)

  • General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR)

  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

  • UK Data Protection Act, 2018

  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

 

 

This policy forms an integral part of the contractual relationship between Sramana and its contributors, superseding any verbal or informal expectations.

 

 

 

2. Universal Submission Eligibility

Sramana accepts unsolicited and solicited submissions across:

 

  • Languages: All living languages, provided accurate transliteration or translation is included where applicable.

  • Genres: All literary, journalistic, academic, artistic, and experimental formats, including hybrid forms.

  • Format Types: Manuscripts, scripts, poetry, visual narratives, digital-born literature, audiobooks, etc.

  • Authorship Models: Solo, co-authored, ghostwritten (declared), AI-assisted (declared), and institutionally commissioned works.

 

 

All submissions must be accompanied by a signed Author’s Declaration of Originality & Rights Ownership.

 

 

 

3. Prohibited Content Categories

Sramana reserves the unilateral and non-negotiable right to reject, redact, or revoke any manuscript containing or promoting:

 

 

3.1 Illegality or Tortious Liability

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  • Defamatory statements under common or statutory law.

  • Infringement of copyright, trademarks, or trade secrets.

  • Unauthorized reproduction of third-party content.

  • Invasion of privacy or misappropriation of personality rights.

 

 

 

3.2 Unscientific or Pseudoscientific Claims

  • Astrology, numerology, Vastu, and similar “andhvishwas” unless presented as satire, cultural narrative, or fiction.

  • “Miracle” claims unsupported by empirical evidence or peer-reviewed data.

  • Medical or psychological advice lacking regulatory approval or verifiable citations.

 

 

 

3.3 Content Contrary to Public Order or Morality

  • Hate speech, communal incitement, gender-targeted abuse, or sexually explicit content violating Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000.

  • Content in breach of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), or international anti-extremism frameworks.

 

 

 

 

4. Editorial Due Diligence & Legal Vetting Process

Each submission undergoes a rigorous five-tier review:

 

  1. Technical Verification – Format, word count, author ID, language match.

  2. Editorial Pre-screening – Structure, coherence, audience fit.

  3. Plagiarism & Originality Audit – Using advanced detection systems & cross-referenced bibliographic vetting.

  4. Content Ethics Compliance – In accordance with Sramana’s Content Ethics Policy.

  5. Legal Risk Audit – Performed by the Office of General Counsel to assess potential civil or criminal liability.

 

 

Sramana may request representations, warranties, or indemnities prior to acceptance. Failure to cooperate with due diligence may result in summary rejection.

 

 

 

5. Right to Edit, Reject, Revoke or Rescind

Sramana maintains irrevocable rights under this policy to:

 

  • Edit: for grammatical, stylistic, structural, and cultural integrity.

  • Reject: at any stage pre-contract if found incompatible with legal, ethical, or strategic objectives.

  • Revoke: post-acceptance if new legal violations are discovered.

  • Rescind: a contract entirely if misrepresentations or concealed material facts are uncovered post-signature.

 

 

All such actions will be legally documented and shared with the contributor.

 

 

 

6. Intellectual Property Handling

Unless explicitly assigned or licensed, the author retains copyright, while Sramana licenses exclusive territorial publishing, formatting, and distribution rights for the agreed term.

 

Exceptions include:

 

  • Custom Publishing Projects: where Sramana may retain joint copyright.

  • Institutional Contracts: where a third party (e.g., university) holds certain rights.

  • Ghostwritten Work: where authorship may be contractually assigned.

 

 

All rights management will follow the terms outlined in the Author Agreement and will be fully compliant with the Berne Convention, TRIPS, and Indian Copyright Rules, 2013.

 

 

 

7. Multilingual & Regional Works

Sramana encourages submissions in regional languages but requires:

 

  • Author-provided transliteration or certified translation.

  • Proof of script legitimacy if non-standard Unicode fonts are used.

  • Cultural disclaimers where sensitive religious or social themes are explored.

 

 

 

 

8. Withdrawal, Retraction & Termination

 

 

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8.1 Author-Initiated Withdrawal

Permitted prior to contract execution, with written acknowledgment. After signature, subject to contractual termination clauses.

 

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8.2 Publisher-Initiated Retraction

May occur due to:

 

  • Copyright violations

  • Discovery of falsified data

  • Post-publication litigation risk

 

 

Sramana shall issue public notices if required and notify digital partners, distributors, and repositories.

 

 

 

9. Retention & Archival Policy

Unaccepted manuscripts are retained for 180 days and then destroyed unless legal dispute, data preservation obligation, or author consent dictates otherwise.

 

Accepted manuscripts are retained for the full contract term plus 7 years, per statutory requirements.

 

All storage and deletion procedures are compliant with:

 

  • GDPR Art. 5(1)(e)

  • DPDP Act Ch. III, Sec. 8

  • California Consumer Rights to Deletion

 

 

 

 

10. Dispute Resolution & Legal Jurisdiction

Any disputes arising from this policy or manuscript-related decisions will be handled under the following framework:

 

  • Primary Dispute Channel: Negotiation with Editor-in-Chief or Legal Counsel

  • Secondary: Mediation per Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996

  • Jurisdiction: Courts of [New Delhi / Mumbai / your city], India

  • International Authors: May request cross-jurisdictional mediation in compliance with UNCITRAL guidelines.

 

 

 

 

11. Policy Review & Amendments

This policy is reviewed biannually by:

 

  • Editorial Governance Committee

  • Legal & Compliance Unit

  • External Legal Advisors (where needed)

 

 

Sramana reserves the right to amend this policy. Updated versions will carry a new effective date. Your continued engagement implies acknowledgment and acceptance of the latest policy.

 

 

 

12. Contact

 Legal & Editorial Queries

writetoshweta23@gmail.com

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