Definitions - In this Act unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a)"Authority" means an appropriate regulatory authority established by law including the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development authority;

1. (b) "Contribution" means a periodic payment by a subscriber into the individual pension account as may be prescribed;
2. (c) "Co-contribution" means a periodic cash transfer by the Government as may be prescribed;
3. (d) "Government" means the State Government of Andhra Pradesh; (e)"guidelines" means guidelines framed by the nodal implementation agency to implement the provisions of the scheme; (f)"individual pension account" means an account opened as per the scheme;
4. (g) "minimum pension" means a minimum monthly payment to be notified by the Government from time to time and payable under the scheme to subscribers on crossing the retirement age, subject to conditions to be notified;
5. (h) "Nodal Implementation Agency" means the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty and any other such agency that may be notified by the Government and empowered to implement and administer the scheme;
   • (i) "Notification" means a 'notification' published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette and the word notified shall be construed accordingly;
6. (j) "Pension" means the periodic payment to a subscriber on crossing the retirement age;
7. (k) "Pension fund manager" means the Life Insurance Corporation of India or any other Public Sector undertaking, regulated by an authority as may be prescribed by the Government;
8. (l) "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
9. (m) "retirement age" means the age as may be prescribed by the Government at which the subscriber starts drawing the monthly pension;
10. (n) "Scheme" means the Self Help Group Women Co-contributory Pension Scheme as framed under section 3 of the Act; (o)"SHG" means a Rural or Urban Self Help Group of Women formed by the promotional efforts of development agencies of the Government as notified in the scheme and registered with the Nodal Implementation Agency; (p)"Subscriber" means a woman member of an Urban or Rural Self Help Group who is permitted and chooses to subscribe to the scheme. CHAPTER - II THE SCHEME