Definitions.- (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (a) “Caste Panchayat” means a Committee or a body formed by a group of persons belonging to any community, whether registered or not, whether formal or informal, which functions within the community to regulate various practices in the same community, controls personal and social behavior of any member and collectively resolves or decides any disputes amongst its members including their families, by issuing oral or written dictums, whether called as a “panchayat” or by any other name or description;
2. (b) “Community” in relation to a Caste Panchayat means a group, the members of which are connected together by reason of the fact that by birth, conversion or the performance of any religious rites or ceremonies, they belong to the same religion or religious creed, caste or sub- caste;
3. (c) “Social Boycott” means the gesture or an act, whether oral or written, of any social discrimination between the members of the community specified in section 3;
4. (d) “Government” means the Government of Karnataka;
5. (e) “Human rights” shall have the same meaning as assigned

to it in clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the

Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (Central Act 10 of 1994);

1. (f) “Member” means a person who is a member of any community;
2. (g) “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
3. (h) “Social Boycott Prohibition Officer” means an officer designated as such under section 15; and
   • (i) “Victim” means an individual who has suffered or experienced physical or monetary harm or harm to his property as a result of the commission of social boycott and includes his relatives, legal guardian and legal heirs.

1. (2) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act but defined in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 45 of 2023), the Bharatiya

Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Central Act 47 of 2023), the Bharatiya Nagarik