RAS question
India's GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal is used for:
Correct answer: (A) Online procurement by government departments.
India's Government e-Marketplace, or GeM, is used for online procurement of common-use goods and services by government departments and other government buyers.
Explanation
GeM is not a general shopping site; it is India's online public procurement platform. The PIB source describes Government e-Marketplace as an online platform for public procurement in India, launched on 9 August 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers. It facilitates online procurement of common-use goods and services by government organisations. The source also clarifies the buyer side: central and state ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions and local bodies can procure through it, while private-sector buyers cannot use it. That is why the MCQ points to government departments buying online, not retail shopping or financial trading.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Stock trading is wrong because the sourced description of GeM is about public procurement of goods and services, not buying or selling securities.
- (C) Consumer shopping is wrong because PIB states that GeM is open to government buyers and is not available for private-sector buyers.
- (D) Real estate transactions are wrong because the platform is described as procuring common-use goods and services for government organisations, not handling property deals.
Concept
This tests e-governance in public procurement: how digital platforms change government purchasing. It recurs in RAS because transparency, efficiency and inclusion in government service delivery are standard governance themes.