Definitions

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context— (a) "begging" means soliciting alms in a public place or in or about a temple, mosque or other place of public worship, whether or not under any pretence of singing, dancing, fortune-telling, performing tricks or selling articles, and includes— (i) entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting alms; (ii) exposing or exhibiting with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease whether of a human being or an animal; (iii) having no visible means of subsistence and wandering about or remaining in any public place or in a temple, mosque or other place of public worship in such condition or manner as makes it likely that the person doing so exists by soliciting alms; (iv) allowing himself to be used as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting alms, but does not include soliciting money or food or gifts for a purpose authorised by any law or authorised in the prescribed manner by the District Magistrate or by the State Government: Provided that the State Government may, by general or special order, direct that "begging" shall not include soliciting alms in or about any temple or mosque or any other place under such terms and conditions and on such occasions as may be specified in the order; (b) "Certified Home" means a home certified by the State Government or by any subordinate authority empowered by it in this behalf to be a fit place for the reception of beggars suffering from leprosy or any other infectious or contagious disease notified in this behalf by the State Government; (c) "Juvenile Court" means a Court empowered by the Reformatory Schools Act, 1897; (d) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under Section 12; (e) "public place" includes any open space to which for the time being the public are permitted to have an access, whether on payment or otherwise; (f) "Reformatory school" means a school established and maintained by the State Government under the Reformatory Schools Act, 1897; (g) "Special Home" means a home notified by the State Government, as suitable for the reception of beggars, not physically capable of ordinary manual labour, but not suffering from leprosy or any other infectious or contagious disease and children below the age of ten years who are committed to a Special Home under any of the provisions of this Act; and (h) "Work House" means a place notified by the State Government as suitable for the reception of beggars, physically capable of ordinary manual labour, who are committed to a Work House under any of the provisions of this Act.