diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-07-pii-encryption-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-07-pii-encryption-design.md
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@@ -0,0 +1,348 @@
+# PII Encryption Design — User Microservice
+**Date:** 2026-05-07  
+**Compliance:** DPDPA (Digital Personal Data Protection Act)  
+**Scope:** `Users` table — Phase 1  
+**Status:** Decisions finalised ✅
+
+---
+
+## 1. Objective
+
+Encrypt all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) stored in the `Users` table at rest. Only ciphertext will persist in the DB. Encryption/decryption happens transparently in the service layer using AES-256 with a key from an environment variable (`PII_ENCRYPTION_KEY`).
+
+---
+
+## 2. PII Fields in Scope (Users Table)
+
+Under DPDPA, **name is classified as Personal Data** — `firstName`, `lastName`, `middleName` are all required to be encrypted.
+
+| Column | DB Column Name (after migration) | Encryption Mode | Searchable in DB? |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `email` | `email` (same, value encrypted) | Deterministic (AES-256-CBC) | YES |
+| `mobile` | `mobile` (same, value encrypted) | Deterministic (AES-256-CBC) | YES |
+| `dob` | `dob` (same, value encrypted) | Random-IV (AES-256-GCM) | NO |
+| `firstName` | `firstName` (same, value encrypted) | Deterministic (AES-256-CBC) | YES |
+| `lastName` | `lastName` (same, value encrypted) | Deterministic (AES-256-CBC) | YES |
+| `middleName` | `middleName` (same, value encrypted) | Random-IV (AES-256-GCM) | NO |
+| `address` | `address` (same, value encrypted) | Random-IV (AES-256-GCM) | NO |
+| `pincode` | `pincode` (same, value encrypted) | Random-IV (AES-256-GCM) | NO |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Column Strategy — Keep Same Names, Store Encrypted Values ✅
+
+**Decision:** Keep existing column names (`email`, `mobile`, `dob`, `firstName`, etc.) in the `Users` table. The encrypted ciphertext is stored directly in these columns. The separate `encryptedEmail`, `encryptedMobile`, `encryptedDob` columns (currently in DB) will be **dropped**.
+
+**Why this is better:**
+- No entity renames or response field mapping changes needed
+- Reporting/analytics tools that query the DB directly will receive encrypted values — which is the correct DPDPA behaviour (they should not see plaintext PII)
+- Simpler migration — encrypt in-place, drop the redundant `encryptedXxx` columns
+
+### Final DB Column State After Migration
+
+| Column | Type | Value |
+|---|---|---|
+| `email` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `mobile` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `dob` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `firstName` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `lastName` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `middleName` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `address` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext (was already TEXT) |
+| `pincode` | `TEXT` | AES encrypted ciphertext |
+| `encryptedEmail` | — | **DROPPED** |
+| `encryptedMobile` | — | **DROPPED** |
+| `encryptedDob` | — | **DROPPED** |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Encryption Approach
+
+### Two Modes
+
+**Deterministic (AES-256-CBC, fixed IV derived from key)**
+- Used for: `email`, `mobile`, `firstName`, `lastName`
+- Same plaintext → same ciphertext every time
+- Allows DB-level `WHERE email = encryptDeterministic(input)`
+- Slightly lower security than random-IV (no IV randomness) — acceptable trade-off for searchability
+
+**Random-IV (AES-256-GCM, authenticated)**
+- Used for: `dob`, `middleName`, `address`, `pincode`
+- Same plaintext → different ciphertext each time
+- Maximum security, tamper-proof (GCM auth tag)
+- Not searchable at DB level — no need to search by these fields
+
+### Key Configuration
+- **Env var:** `PII_ENCRYPTION_KEY` — 32-byte hex string (256-bit)
+- **Deterministic IV:** first 16 bytes of `SHA-256(PII_ENCRYPTION_KEY)` — fixed, derived from key
+- **Random IV:** `crypto.randomBytes(12)` — regenerated per encryption
+- **Storage format (GCM):** `iv_base64:authTag_base64:ciphertext_base64`
+- **Storage format (CBC):** `ciphertext_base64` (IV is fixed/derived, no need to store)
+- **Key Rotation:** requires a data migration script to re-encrypt all rows
+
+---
+
+## 5. Database Migration Steps
+
+```
+Step 1: Widen column types to TEXT (to fit ciphertext)
+Step 2: Encrypt all existing rows in-place (via migration script)
+Step 3: Drop redundant encryptedXxx columns
+Step 4: Deploy new service code
+```
+
+**Step 1 — SQL:**
+```sql
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "email" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "mobile" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "dob" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "firstName" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "lastName" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "middleName" TYPE TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "Users" ALTER COLUMN "pincode" TYPE TEXT;
+-- address is already TEXT
+```
+
+**Step 3 — SQL (after data encryption script completes):**
+```sql
+ALTER TABLE "Users" DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS "encryptedEmail";
+ALTER TABLE "Users" DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS "encryptedMobile";
+ALTER TABLE "Users" DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS "encryptedDob";
+```
+
+> **Critical:** Steps 1-3 must complete and be verified **before** deploying new service code. The service code assumes all PII columns contain ciphertext.
+
+---
+
+## 6. New Service: `EncryptionService`
+
+**Location:** `src/common/services/encryption.service.ts`
+
+```typescript
+@Injectable()
+export class EncryptionService {
+  // AES-256-CBC — fixed IV derived from key. Same input → same output.
+  encryptDeterministic(value: string): string
+
+  // AES-256-GCM — random IV. Same input → different output each time.
+  encryptRandom(value: string): string
+
+  // Detects mode from ciphertext format and decrypts accordingly.
+  decrypt(value: string): string
+
+  // Convenience: encrypts all PII fields on a user object before DB write.
+  encryptUserPII(user: Partial<User>): Partial<User>
+
+  // Convenience: decrypts all PII fields on a user object after DB read.
+  decryptUserPII(user: Partial<User>): Partial<User>
+}
+```
+
+**PII field → encryption mode mapping (inside EncryptionService):**
+```
+email       → encryptDeterministic
+mobile      → encryptDeterministic
+firstName   → encryptDeterministic
+lastName    → encryptDeterministic
+dob         → encryptRandom
+middleName  → encryptRandom
+address     → encryptRandom
+pincode     → encryptRandom
+```
+
+---
+
+## 7. API Impact Analysis
+
+### 7.1 CREATE — `POST /user/create`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| **Request body** | No change — consumer sends plaintext |
+| **Service layer** | Call `encryptUserPII()` before `usersRepository.save()` |
+| **Keycloak** | Receives plaintext before encryption — no change |
+| **Response** | Call `decryptUserPII()` before returning |
+
+---
+
+### 7.2 GET — `GET /user/read/:userId`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| **DB fetch** | Fetches ciphertext from all PII columns |
+| **Service layer** | Call `decryptUserPII()` after fetch |
+| **Response** | Plaintext PII returned to consumer — field names unchanged |
+
+---
+
+### 7.3 UPDATE — `PATCH /user/update/:userid`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| **Request body** | No change — consumer sends plaintext |
+| **Service layer** | Call `encryptUserPII()` on updated fields before save |
+| **Keycloak** | Receives plaintext — no change |
+| **Response** | `decryptUserPII()` before returning |
+
+---
+
+### 7.4 LIST / SEARCH — `POST /user/list` ⚠️ MOST IMPACTED
+
+Current PII filters:
+```json
+{ "filters": { "email": ["user@example.com"], "mobile": "9876543210" } }
+```
+
+**Changes:**
+| Filter | Old Behaviour | New Behaviour |
+|---|---|---|
+| `email` | `WHERE email ILIKE ?` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE email = ?` (exact match) |
+| `mobile` | `WHERE mobile = ?` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE mobile = ?` (exact match) |
+| `firstName` | `WHERE firstName ILIKE ?` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE firstName = ?` (exact match) |
+| `lastName` | `WHERE lastName ILIKE ?` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE lastName = ?` (exact match) |
+
+> **Breaking change for partial/wildcard search:** `ILIKE '%rahul%'` is no longer possible. Search must be exact. This is an accepted trade-off for DPDPA compliance.
+
+After DB fetch → call `decryptUserPII()` on each result before building response.
+
+---
+
+### 7.5 CHECK USER — `POST /user/check`
+
+`ExistUserDto` has `email`, `mobile`, `firstName`, `lastName`.
+
+| Field | Change |
+|---|---|
+| `email` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE email = ?` |
+| `mobile` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE mobile = ?` |
+| `firstName` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE firstName = ?` |
+| `lastName` | `encryptDeterministic(input)` → `WHERE lastName = ?` |
+
+---
+
+### 7.6 FORGOT PASSWORD — `POST /user/forgot-password`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| Input email lookup | `encryptDeterministic(email)` → `WHERE email = ?` |
+| Response | No PII exposed |
+
+---
+
+### 7.7 SEND OTP — `POST /user/send-otp`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| Mobile lookup | `encryptDeterministic(mobile)` → `WHERE mobile = ?` |
+| Sending SMS | `decrypt(user.mobile)` → pass plaintext to SMS provider |
+
+---
+
+### 7.8 SEND OTP ON MAIL — `POST /user/send-otp-mail`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| Email lookup | `encryptDeterministic(email)` → `WHERE email = ?` |
+| Sending email | `decrypt(user.email)` → pass plaintext to mail provider |
+
+---
+
+### 7.9 PASSWORD RESET OTP — `POST /user/password-reset-otp`
+
+Same pattern as 7.7 / 7.8 — encrypt input for lookup, decrypt for sending.
+
+---
+
+### 7.10 USER HIERARCHY VIEW — `POST /user/hierarchy-view`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| Email lookup | `encryptDeterministic(email)` → `WHERE email = ?` |
+| Domain extraction | `decrypt(user.email)` → then extract domain |
+
+---
+
+### 7.11 DELETE — `DELETE /user/delete/:userId`
+
+Lookup by UUID — **no impact.** Encrypted row deleted with no special handling.
+
+---
+
+### 7.12 SUGGEST USERNAME — `POST /user/suggestUsername`
+
+Input `firstName`/`lastName` come from request body, not DB — **no impact on input.**  
+If fetching existing users for uniqueness: call `decryptUserPII()` on fetched rows.
+
+---
+
+### 7.13 PASSWORD RESET LINK — `POST /user/password-reset-link`
+
+| Aspect | Change |
+|---|---|
+| Fetching user email to send link | `decrypt(user.email)` → pass to mail provider |
+
+---
+
+## 8. Response Shape — No Contract Change
+
+API consumers always receive **decrypted plaintext**. Field names are unchanged.
+
+```json
+{
+  "userId": "uuid",
+  "firstName": "Rahul",
+  "lastName": "Sharma",
+  "email": "rahul@example.com",
+  "mobile": "9876543210",
+  "dob": "1995-04-12",
+  "address": "123 Main St",
+  "pincode": "110001"
+}
+```
+
+The DB stores ciphertext in these columns. The service decrypts transparently before responding.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Files to Create / Modify
+
+| File | Action | What Changes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `src/common/services/encryption.service.ts` | **CREATE** | Core AES-256 service with deterministic + random-IV modes |
+| `src/common/services/encryption.service.spec.ts` | **CREATE** | Unit tests for both encryption modes |
+| `src/user/entities/user-entity.ts` | **MODIFY** | Remove `encryptedEmail/Mobile/Dob` columns; change PII column types to `text` |
+| `src/user/user.service.ts` | **MODIFY** | Inject `EncryptionService`; encrypt on write, decrypt on read; update all search filter logic |
+| `src/user/dto/user-search.dto.ts` | **MODIFY** | Remove `@IsEmail` from `filters.email` (string only now) |
+| `src/user/user.module.ts` | **MODIFY** | Add `EncryptionService` to providers |
+| `src/common/common.module.ts` | **MODIFY** | Export `EncryptionService` |
+| `migrations/YYYYMMDD-encrypt-pii-users.ts` | **CREATE** | Widen columns, encrypt existing rows, drop `encryptedXxx` columns |
+| `.env` / `.env.example` | **MODIFY** | Add `PII_ENCRYPTION_KEY=<32-byte-hex>` |
+
+---
+
+## 10. What Does NOT Change
+
+| Field | Reason |
+|---|---|
+| `username` | Not PII — used for login, stays plaintext |
+| `enrollmentId` | Unique identifier — stays plaintext |
+| `gender` | Not sensitive personal data under DPDPA |
+| `status`, `createdAt`, `updatedAt`, `createdBy`, `updatedBy` | Operational metadata |
+| `userId` | Primary key UUID |
+| Keycloak data | Outside service boundary — Keycloak stores its own copy |
+| Non-PII filters in `/user/list` | `status`, `role`, `cohortId`, `tenantId` — no change |
+
+---
+
+## 11. Decisions Log
+
+| # | Decision | Rationale |
+|---|---|---|
+| 1 | Keep same column names, store encrypted values in-place | Cleaner — no entity renames, no response mapping changes, reporting tools correctly see ciphertext |
+| 2 | Drop `encryptedEmail`, `encryptedMobile`, `encryptedDob` columns | Redundant after in-place encryption strategy |
+| 3 | `firstName`, `lastName` are PII and must be encrypted | DPDPA classifies full name as Personal Data |
+| 4 | `firstName`, `lastName`, `email`, `mobile` use deterministic encryption | Required for DB-level search (exact match) |
+| 5 | `dob`, `middleName`, `address`, `pincode` use random-IV | No search requirement — maximum security |
+| 6 | `ILIKE` / partial search on PII fields removed | Impossible after encryption — exact match only |
+| 7 | Data export (Phase 2) | Not in scope for Phase 1 |
+| 8 | `FieldValues` encryption | Phase 2 — after Phase 1 is stable |
diff --git a/src/cohortMembers/cohortMembers.service.ts b/src/cohortMembers/cohortMembers.service.ts
index b91f5e7f..f7bc70d9 100644
--- a/src/cohortMembers/cohortMembers.service.ts
+++ b/src/cohortMembers/cohortMembers.service.ts
@@ -345,6 +345,9 @@ ON CM."userId" = U."userId" ${whereCase}`;
         "userId",
         "role",
         "name",
+        "firstName",
+        "middleName",
+        "lastName",
         "status",
         "cohortAcademicYearId",
         "cohortMemberRole",
@@ -622,6 +625,15 @@ ON CM."userId" = U."userId" ${whereCase}`;
           case "firstName": {
             return `U."firstName" ILIKE '%${value}%'`;
           }
+          case "middleName": {
+            return `U."middleName" ILIKE '%${value}%'`;
+          }
+          case "lastName": {
+            return `U."lastName" ILIKE '%${value}%'`;
+          }
+          case "name": {
+            return `U."name" ILIKE '%${value}%'`;
+          }
           case "cohortAcademicYearId": {
             const cohortIdAcademicYear = Array.isArray(value)
               ? value.map((id) => `'${id}'`).join(", ")
diff --git a/src/cohortMembers/dto/cohortMembers-search.dto.ts b/src/cohortMembers/dto/cohortMembers-search.dto.ts
index 339c0f3e..14c66fc2 100644
--- a/src/cohortMembers/dto/cohortMembers-search.dto.ts
+++ b/src/cohortMembers/dto/cohortMembers-search.dto.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ class FiltersDto {
   @IsString()
   lastName?: string;
 
+  @ApiPropertyOptional({ type: String, description: "Partial match on firstName" })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsString()
+  name?: string;
+
   @ApiPropertyOptional({ type: Array, description: "Status", example: [] })
   @IsOptional()
   @IsArray()