Community Onboarding Guide
Version: 15 June 2026 · Audience: Community administrators and onboarding teams
Purpose: This guide helps Community Administrators launch and operate a Community on Mera Samaj safely and effectively. It is an operational reference, not a substitute for our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Community Member Agreement, or Community Admin Agreement.
Mera Samaj is a technology platform and intermediary only. You and your admin team control moderation, official feeds, member approvals, and exports. You are primarily responsible for Content, conduct, and compliance in your Community.
1. Before You Start
1.1 What Mera Samaj provides
Mera Samaj is a technology platform and intermediary. We provide software for feeds, chat, events, matrimony, marketplace, jobs, fundraising, games, SOS, and other community features. We are not the publisher of your Community's User-Generated Content.
You and your admin team control moderation, official feeds, member approvals, exports, and most feature toggles. You are primarily responsible for Content, conduct, and compliance in your Community.
1.2 Who should read this guide
- Primary Community Administrator (community head / president / secretary)
- Sub-admins and moderators
- IT or operations volunteers helping with onboarding
- Legal or trust representatives reviewing Community policies
1.3 Documents to review first
2. Pre-Launch Checklist
Complete these steps before inviting members at scale.
2.1 Community identity and authority
- Confirm the legal entity or association you represent has authorised you to operate this Community on Mera Samaj.
- Set accurate Community name, description, logo, and contact details.
- Upload or link to your existing constitution, bylaws, or trust deed summary where helpful for members.
- Designate a primary billing contact if subscribing to a paid plan.
2.2 Legal and policy foundation
- Draft Community Rules covering membership criteria, prohibited conduct, matrimony norms (if enabled), and grievance contact within the Community.
- Ensure Community Rules align with Indian law and Platform Terms — do not permit content prohibited under IT Rules 2021.
- Identify your internal grievance contact (e.g., secretary@yoursamaj.org) for member disputes.
- Accept the Community Admin Agreement through the Platform consent flow.
2.3 Technical readiness
- Verify admin login on web and mobile with a dedicated admin device where possible.
- Enable two-factor or device security on admin accounts.
- Test posting to feed, official channel, and member-only groups.
- Configure language preferences if your Community is multilingual.
2.4 Feature selection
Enable only features you are ready to moderate. Disable features you do not need at launch; enable later when ready.
| Feature | Moderation burden | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Social feed | Medium | Set post rate limits for new members |
| Official news channel | High | Admin-curated; you are editorially responsible |
| Matrimony | Very high | Sensitive personal data; extra policies required |
| Marketplace / jobs | High | Scams and misrepresentation risk |
| Fundraising | High | Financial disclosures and trust |
| SOS / emergency | High | Supplemental only — not a replacement for 112 |
| Games / voice rooms | Medium | Monitor conduct and age-appropriate use |
| External syndication | Medium | You are responsible for third-party platform compliance |
3. Admin Roles and Succession
3.1 Recommended role structure
| Role | Typical permissions | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Primary admin | Full configuration, billing, role assignment | 1–2 trusted office-bearers |
| Sub-admin | Moderation, member approval, official posts | Regional or city heads |
| Moderator | Content review, member warnings | Active volunteers with clear guidelines |
| Leader / honorary | Official announcements, limited config | Ceremonial or senior leadership |
3.2 Succession planning
- Appoint at least one backup primary admin before go-live.
- Document who can revoke credentials if an admin leaves abruptly.
- Use Platform tools to transfer ownership — do not share one personal login across multiple people.
- Remove admin access promptly when office-bearers change after elections or AGMs.
3.3 Admin Agreement compliance
Every person with elevated permissions should understand they are bound by the Community Admin Agreement, including indemnification and member data handling obligations. Brief your team before granting roles.
4. Privacy Defaults and Member Data
4.1 Platform vs Community responsibility
Mera Samaj's Privacy Policy governs Platform-wide data practices. You are responsible for how you use member data accessed through admin tools within your Community.
4.2 Recommended privacy defaults at launch
- Set member directory visibility to the most restrictive setting acceptable for your Community; relax later if needed.
- Restrict phone number and email visibility to admins or approved connections where the Platform allows.
- Disable public profile indexing for minors' data — matrimony and youth wings require extra care.
- Turn off unnecessary data exports; restrict export permissions to primary admins.
4.3 Member data — do's and don'ts
Do: use exports for legitimate membership records, event planning, or audited reports; store exports encrypted and delete when no longer needed; tell members in Community Rules how their data will be used.
Don't: sell or share member directories with political campaigns, marketers, or unrelated businesses; export data to personal email or unsecured WhatsApp groups; retain data of removed members without legal basis.
4.4 Data breach response
- Revoke affected admin sessions and rotate passwords.
- Notify Mera Samaj at security@merasamaj.co.in or call 9100003300.
- Inform affected members as required by law and your Community Rules.
5. Invite and Member Onboarding
5.1 Phased rollout (recommended)
| Phase | Audience | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 10–30 office-bearers and tech volunteers | Test flows, fix Community Rules |
| Soft launch | 100–500 known members | Validate moderation capacity |
| General invite | Full membership | Scale with moderators in place |
5.2 Invitation methods
- Admin-approved join requests — best for closed samajs with eligibility criteria.
- Invite links / QR codes — convenient; rotate links if leaked publicly.
- Bulk invite via phone — use responsibly; ensure members expect the invitation.
- Import from existing records — verify consent before messaging members.
5.3 Member acceptance flow
Ensure new members accept Platform Terms and Privacy Policy at registration; are shown or linked to Community Rules and the Community Member Agreement before full access; and understand membership can be revoked for rule violations.
5.4 Verification
For Communities with strict eligibility (e.g., caste/sub-caste, gotra, business category, geographic chapter): document what proof you require and who reviews it; do not store excessive identity documents without secure handling; reject impersonation attempts promptly.
6. Moderation Setup
6.1 Community Rules (minimum topics)
Your Community Rules should address: respectful conduct and anti-harassment standards; prohibited Content (align with Platform Terms and IT Rules 2021); political and religious discourse norms; matrimony and personal profile honesty (if enabled); commercial listings and spam; internal grievance process and expected response times; and consequences (warning, temporary mute, removal, report to Platform).
Publish Rules in the feed pin, About section, or downloadable PDF.
6.2 Moderation workflow
- Assign moderators to time zones or regions for timely review.
- Configure keyword filters for common abuse terms (adjust for false positives).
- Define when to escalate to primary admin (legal threats, child safety, fraud).
- Define when to escalate to Mera Samaj (Platform security, unlawful Content, coordinated abuse).
6.3 Official feed vs member posts
Member social feed: members post; moderators review — shared moderation responsibility. Official announcements: admins publish — you are editorially responsible. Syndicated external posts: admins enable and approve — you are responsible for third-party compliance.
6.4 Rate limits
Default member post limits (e.g., 10 posts per 24 hours) reduce spam. Adjust in admin settings based on Community culture. New members may need stricter limits initially.
7. Matrimony and Marketplace Sensitivities
7.1 Matrimony
Matrimony involves sensitive personal data. Mera Samaj does not verify profiles, backgrounds, or intentions. Before enabling matrimony:
- Add matrimony-specific rules (truthful profiles, consent for photos, no broker spam).
- Assign dedicated moderators to review profiles and reports.
- Warn members that offline meetings are at their own risk — meet in public places.
- Do not publish children's or minors' matrimony-related data.
- Handle caste, religion, and disability attributes lawfully and sensitively.
7.2 Marketplace, jobs, and microstores
- Prohibit counterfeit goods, illegal services, and misleading pricing.
- Clarify that Mera Samaj is not a party to transactions.
- Encourage members to report fraud; remove repeat offenders.
- For job posts, discourage upfront fee scams and unverified recruitment agents.
7.3 Fundraising and donations
- Require campaign organisers to identify beneficiaries and use of funds.
- Remind members that Mera Samaj does not audit campaigns unless required by law.
- Comply with FCRA and local charitable registration laws if applicable to your organisation.
7.4 SOS and emergency features
- Educate members that SOS is supplemental — always call 112 or local emergency services for life-threatening emergencies.
- Designate Community emergency contacts who understand they act independently, not as Mera Samaj agents.
8. Recording Legal Acceptance
8.1 What to record
Ensure the Platform captures: admin acceptance of the Community Admin Agreement (timestamp, admin user ID); member acceptance of Community Member Agreement / Community Rules at join; and major Community Rules updates (re-consent where the Platform supports it).
8.2 Offline organisations
If your samaj requires paper resolutions: pass a resolution at committee or AGM authorising Mera Samaj onboarding and designated admins; retain minutes referencing Platform URLs for Terms, Privacy Policy, and Admin Agreement; align office-bearer names with admin role assignments on the Platform.
8.3 Policy updates
When Mera Samaj updates legal documents, we notify via Platform, email, or SMS where available. Communicate material changes to your members through official channels.
9. Go-Live Checklist
9.1 People
- Primary admin and backup admin confirmed active
- Moderators briefed on Community Rules and escalation paths
- Internal grievance contact published
9.2 Policies
- Community Rules published and pinned
- Member Agreement linked in welcome message
- Matrimony/marketplace rules added if those features are enabled
9.3 Configuration
- Privacy defaults reviewed
- Unneeded features disabled
- Rate limits and join approval mode set
- Official channel ready for welcome announcement
9.4 Communications
- Welcome post drafted (how to use app, rules summary, support contacts)
- Pilot feedback addressed
- WhatsApp or email migration message prepared (optional)
9.5 Post-launch (first 30 days)
- Monitor reports daily during first week
- Review moderator workload; add moderators if backlog grows
- Collect member feedback on rules and features
- Schedule 30-day review with Mera Samaj support if on a paid onboarding plan
10. Support Contacts and Escalation
10.1 Mera Samaj support
- Onboarding help: 9100003300 (call or WhatsApp)
- Email support: support@merasamaj.co.in
- Legal notices: legal@merasamaj.co.in
- Security incidents: security@merasamaj.co.in
- Web contact form: merasamaj.co.in/contact
10.2 Grievance Officer (IT Rules 2021)
- Email: grievance@merasamaj.co.in
- Acknowledgement: within 24 hours where practicable
- Resolution target: 15 days from receipt, or as required by law
Use the grievance channel for Platform-level complaints (unlawful Content, security, impersonation of Mera Samaj). Use your internal Community grievance process first for moderation disputes between members.
10.3 When to escalate to Mera Samaj immediately
- Suspected child safety exploitation
- Coordinated illegal activity or impersonation of government officials
- Platform security vulnerabilities or admin account compromise
- Court orders or law-enforcement requests directed to the Platform
- Content that may trigger Platform-wide legal obligation regardless of Community moderation
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Brand: Mera Samaj