Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) portal

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) portal.

About Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC):

• The Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) is established under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 [“IT Rules”], made under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
• The IT Rules and GAC aim to ensure a Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for Indian users.
• The GAC is an online dispute resolution mechanism.
• The GAC deals with the appeals of users (Digital Nagriks) aggrieved by decisions of Grievance Officers of social media intermediaries and other intermediaries on complaints of users or victims against violation of the IT Rules and any other matters pertaining to the computer resources made available by the intermediaries.

• The Committee will try to respond to the user’s appeal within 30 days.
• Within 24 hours of receiving the complaint, this official is required to acknowledge it and offer a resolution within 15 days.
• It is required that complaints connected to crimes against women be handled within 24 hours in specific situations.

About the GAC portal :

• It will be a virtual Digital platform that will operate only online and digitally
• The entire appeal process, from the filing of the appeal to the decision thereof, shall be conducted digitally through the new portal.
• The new portal lists detailed FAQs for the convenience of users.
• The appellants can track the status of their appeal through the Appellant Login window.
• GAC will upload its order on the portal, and the appellant will receive notification of the same by SMS and email.

Source: THE HINDU

Previous Year Questions

Q.1. With reference to the funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), which of the following statements is correct? (2020)

1. MPLADS funds must be used to create durable assets like physical infrastructure for health, education, etc.
2. A specified portion of each MP’s fund must benefit SC/ST populations.
3. MPLADS funds are sanctioned on yearly basis and the unused funds cannot be carried forward to the next year.
4. The district authority must inspect at least 10% of all works under implementation every year.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 and 4 only
3. 1, 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2, and 4 only

Q.2. Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan is a national campaign to (2016)

1. Rehabilitate the homeless and destitute persons and provide them with suitable sources of livelihood
2. Release the sex workers from their practice and provide them with alternative sources of livelihood
3. Eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers
4. Release the bonded laborers from their bondage and rehabilitate them