Section 2 of the Central Universities Act, 2009 - Definitions
Section 2 contains the statutory definitions used throughout the Central Universities Act, 2009 and in the Statutes made under the Act. These definitions help determine the meaning of important university authorities, officers, academic bodies, staff categories and institutional terms.
Text and meaning of Section 2
Section 2 begins with the rule that, in the Central Universities Act, 2009 and in all Statutes made under it, the following expressions carry the stated meanings unless the context requires otherwise.
- (a) Academic Council: the Academic Council of the University.
- (b) Academic staff: such categories of staff as are designated as academic staff by the Ordinances.
- (c) Board of Studies: the Board of Studies of a Department of the University.
- (d) College: a college maintained by the University.
- (e) Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor: respectively, the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University.
- (f) Court: the Court of the University.
- (g) Department: a Department of Studies, including a Centre of Studies.
- (h) Distance education system: the system of imparting education through means of communication such as broadcasting, telecasting, internet, correspondence courses, seminars, contact programmes, or a combination of two or more such means.
- (i) Employee: any person appointed by the University, including teachers and other staff of the University.
- (j) Executive Council: the Executive Council of the University.
- (ja) Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya: the University established under Section 3F of the Act.
- (k) Hall: a unit of residence or of corporate life for students of the University, a College or an Institution, maintained by the University.
- (l) Institution: an academic institution, other than a College, maintained by the University.
- (m) Principal: the Head of a College or Institution maintained by the University. The definition also covers a person duly appointed to act as Principal and, in the specified circumstances, a duly appointed Vice-Principal.
- (n) Regulations: Regulations made by any authority of the University under the Act and in force at the relevant time.
- (o) School: a School of Studies of the University.
- (p) Statutes and Ordinances: respectively, the Statutes and Ordinances of the University in force at the relevant time.
- (q) Teachers of the University: Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and other persons appointed for imparting instruction or conducting research in the University or in any College or Institution maintained by it, where they are designated as teachers by the Ordinances.
- (r) University: a University established and incorporated as a University under the Central Universities Act, 2009.
Why Section 2 matters
The definitions in Section 2 apply across the Act and the Statutes made under it. They are therefore important when interpreting provisions dealing with university governance, academic bodies, appointments, institutional administration and the powers of university authorities.
For example, the statutory meaning of "employee" expressly includes teachers and other university staff, while the definition of "teachers of the University" identifies the principal teaching categories and permits additional persons to be treated as teachers where the Ordinances so provide. Similarly, the meanings of "Regulations", "Statutes" and "Ordinances" help distinguish the different forms of subordinate university rules recognized by the Act.
Related provisions
After Section 2, the Act proceeds to provisions on establishment and incorporation of Central Universities and related special provisions. See the linked sections in the right sidebar for the next provisions of the Act.
Official reference
The current text of the Central Universities Act, 2009 can be checked on India Code - Central Universities Act, 2009. Information about Central Universities is also available from the Ministry of Education, Government of India.