New Delhi: Wannabe grooms looking for prospective brides online now need to get their paper work in place if they have any serious wish to enter into wedlock. New guidelines set to be issued by the government make it mandatory for new users on matrimonial portals to furnish a proof of identity before they register their profile.
The absence of such a rule had abetted fraudsters, stalkers and even married men posing as single to fleece prospective brides or vice versa. There is no rule in practice currently that is can conclusively establish the identity of an individual registered on a marriage portal. It is only when you opt for its paid services that you are asked for identity proof. Online matrimony sites have lately become a breeding ground for fraudsters, with incidents of the bride or groom fleeced becoming increasingly common and diffcult to check.
The initiative, which is the brainchild of Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi, was in the works from quite some time. As per reports, the minister had asked matrimonial websites to ensure the authenticity of people registering on their portals way back in December 2014. The move had come following the Uber rape case where the driver had managed to secure a clearance despite a past criminal record.
The government is now slated to direct websites to ask for a legally acceptable proof of their identity as soon as a new user registers with them. While PAN card, passport, driving license etc. are likely to be accepted, Aadhar card may not work after the recent Supreme Court guidelines.
As per the new guidelines, an individual registering on a matrimonial site will be asked to scan and upload this identity proof. Matrimonial portals do not ask for any identity proof from new users at the moment.
The guidelines also make it mandatory for every matrimony website to have an ‘online grievance redressal mechanism' on their webpage. Increasing cases of harassment reported by users have been a cause of concern for the government as well as the industry.
The guidelines will also make it mandatory for these websites to put up a disclaimer stating that the sole reason for registering is “marriage purposes” and that no other activity will be permitted on them. The government does not want people to be using matrimonial websites for other purposes.
As per reports, the WCD ministry will be sending the guidelines to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, which is likely to notify them in about a week's time.
