In a report prepared by a Rajya Sabha Committee to look into the ‘menace’ of objectionable online pornography submitted on August 6, the committee has recommended that “a neutral ombudsman be constituted to decide upon complaints of transmission of obscene and objectionable pornography material and accordingly take steps towards blocking them.”The Committee has also recommended that the Government study and explore the steps taken by the other foreign countries to stop porn and to introduce specific laws and technological solutions to curb online pornography, including child pornography in the country.Further, the committee recommended that the Government should evolve a provision for distribution of free internet filters which can restrict free access to online pornography. Such filters are to be used in schools and homes to prevent children from watching porn. Besides the legal and technological means, a mass public awareness campaign is also proposed to be undertaken to make the people aware of the negative impact of cyber pornography on the society. The parliamentarians have also asked that the government seek help from NGOs which have experience in creating awareness on such issues.The ten-member committee was headed by Bhubaneshwar Kalita, a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam.The Committee was formed following a petition by Jainacharya Vijay Ratnasundersuri, a resident of Mumbai and three others, countersigned by RS MP Vijay J. Darda, praying to put a check on cyber pornography by amending the Information Technology Act, 2000.The Committee observes that easy availability of pornography “has the potential to destroy the fibre of the society by negatively affecting the impressionable mind of the children and youth of the country” and that “unchecked circulation of pornographic material and distribution thereof, is a definite roadblock to reach the goal of building a bright future for India.”You can read the full report here.