Chapter II Definitions

In all enactments, unless the context otherwise requires-

1. (1) abet, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, has the same meaning as in the Indian Penal Code;
2. (2) act used with reference to an offence or a civil wrong denotes a series of acts as well as a single act, and words which refer to acts done extend also to illegal omissions.
3. (3) affidavit means a statement in writing, signed by the person making it and confirmed by oath.
4. (4) Assam Act means an Act made by the Chief Commissioner of Assam in Council under the Indian Councils Acts, 1861 to 1909 or any of those Acts, 1861 to 1909 or any of those Acts, or under the Government of India Act, 1915 or by the Local Legislature of Assam under the Government of India Act, or by the Provincial Legislature or the Governor of Assam under the Government of India Act, 1935, or by the Legislature of the State of Assam under the Constitution;
5. (5) attested in relation to a document means attested by a witness who has seen the executed sign the document, or has received from the executants a personal acknowledgement of his signature, and who has signed the document in the presence of the executants, but no particular form of attestation shall be necessary;
6. (6) autonomous State means the autonomous State of Meghalaya formed under Section 3 of the Assam Re-organisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969;
7. (7) Bengal Act means an Act made by the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal in Council under the India Councils Act, 1961, or the Indian Councils Acts, 1861 and 1892 or the Indian Councils Acts,1961, or the Indian Councils Acts, 1861,1892 and 1909 or made by the Governor in Council of Fort William in Bengal under the Indian Councils Acts, 1861 1892 and 1909, or by the Local Legislature of Bengal under the Government of India Act;
8. (8) Central Act means an Act of Parliament, and includes an Act passed or made before the commencement of the Constitution;-
   • (a) by the Dominion Legislature or the Indian Legislature, or,
   • (b) by the Governor-General in Council or the Governor- General acting in a legislative capacity;
9. (9) Central Government in relation to anything done or to be done after the commencement of the Constitution, means the President, and includes in relation to functions entrusted under clause (1) of article 258 of the Constitution to the Government of Meghalaya the Government of Meghalaya acting within the scope of the authority given to it under that clause;
10. (10) Chapter means a Chapter of the enactment in which the word occurs;
11. (11) Child, in the case of any one whose personal law permits adoption, includes an adopted child;
12. (12) clause occurring in a section which has no sub- section, means a sub-division of that section, and occurring in a sub-section means a subdivision of that sub-section;
13. (13) collector means the chief officer in-charge of the revenue administration of district;
14. (14) commencement used with reference to an enactment, means the day on which the enactment comes into force;
15. (15) commissioning means the chief officer in-charge of the revenue administration of a division;
16. (16) Constitutes means the Constitution of India; (17) consular officer includes consul-general, consul, vice-consul, consular agent pro-consul and any other person for the time being authorised to perform the duties of a consul- general, consul, vice-consul or consular agent;
17. (18) daughter in the case of any one whose personal law permits adoption, includes an adopted daughter;
18. (19) day means a period of twenty-four hours beginning at midnight ;
19. (20) deputy-commissioner means the chief officer in- charge of the general administration of a district;
20. (21) district court means the principal civil court of original jurisdiction but does not include the High Court in the exercise of its ordinary or extraordinary original civil jurisdiction;
21. (22) district judge means the judge of a district court, and includes an additional district judge;
22. (23) document includes any matter written, expressed inscribed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks or by more than one of those means, intended to be used or which may be used as evidence of that matter;
23. (24) Eastern Bengal and Assam means the territories which were under the administration of the Lieutenant Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam immediately prior to the constitution of the Chief Commissionership of Assam in 1912;
24. (25) Eastern Bengal and Assam Act means an Act made by the Lieutenant Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam in Council under the Indian Council Acts, 1861 to 1909;
25. (26) enactment means an Act of the Meghalaya Legislature, and includes an Ordinance and any provision contained in any Act or Ordinance as aforesaid;
26. (27) father, in the case of any one whose personal law permits adoption, includes an adoptive father;
27. (28) financial year means the year commencing on the first day of April;
28. (29) good faith- a thing, shall be deemed to be done in good faith, where it is in fact done honestly, whether it is done negligently or not ;
29. (30) Government or the Government includes the Government of Meghalaya, the Central Government and the Government of any State;
30. (31) Governor means the Governor of Assam exercising his functions as Governor in relation to Meghalaya by virtue of the Assam Re-organisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969.
31. (32) Government securities mean securities of the Government of Meghalaya, the Central Government or of any other Government;
32. (33) High Court means the High Court of Assam;
33. (34) immovable property includes land, benefits to arise out of land, and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth.
34. (35) imprisonment means imprisonment of either description as defined in the Indian Penal Code;
35. (36) judicial proceeding means any proceeding in the course of which evidence is, or may be, legally taken;
36. (37) local authority means a municipal corporation, a municipality, a municipal committee, a local or district board or any other authority legally entitled to, or entrusted by the Government with, the control or management of, a municipal or local fund;
37. (38) local law means a law applicable to a part only of Meghalaya;
38. (39) magistrate includes every person exercising all or any of the powers of a magistrate under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, or under any other law for the time being in force relating to criminal procedure;
39. (40) master used with reference to a ship, includes every person (except a pilot or harbour-master) having for the time being command or charge of the ship; (41) Meghalaya means the autonomous State of Meghalaya formed under section 3 of the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969, and comprising the areas specified therein;
40. (42) Meghalaya Act means an Act passed by the Legislative of Meghalaya;
41. (43) month means a month reckoned according to the Gregorian Calendar;
42. (44) movable property means property of every description except immovable property;
43. (45) notification means notification in the official Gazette; (46) oath includes an affirmation and a declaration in the case of persons by law allowed to affirm or declare instead of swearing;
44. (47) offence means any act or omission made punishable by any law for the time being in force;
45. (48) official means the official Gazette of Meghalaya;
46. (49) Ordinance means an Ordinance promulgated by the Governor under section 50 of the Assam Re-organisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969.
47. (50) Part means a part of the enactment in which the word occurs;
48. (51) person includes any company or association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not;
49. (52) prescribed means prescribed by rules made under an enactment in which the word occurs;
50. (53) public includes any class or section of the public;
51. (54) public nuisance means a public nuisance as defined in the Indian Penal Code;
52. (55) registered used with reference to a document, means registered in India under the law for the time being in force for the registration of documents;
53. (56) rule means rule made in exercise of a power conferred by any enactment, and includes a regulation made as a rule under any enactment;
54. (57) schedule means a schedule to the enactment in which the word occurs;
55. (58) section means a section of the enactment in which the word occurs;
56. (59) Shillong means so much of the area comprised within the municipality of Shillong as, immediately before the commencement of the Constitution, formed part of the Khasi State of Mylliem;
57. (60) ship includes every description of vessel used in navigation not exclusively propelled by oars;
58. (61) sign with its grammatical variations and cognate expression, used with reference to a person who is unable to write his name, includes mark with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions;
59. (62) son, in the case of any one whose personal law permits adoption , includes an adopted son;
60. (63) special law means a law applicable to a particular subject;
61. (64) State means a State specified in the First Schedule to the Constitution, and includes a Union territory;
62. (65) sub-section means a sub-section of the section in which the word occurs;
63. (66) swear with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes affirming and declaring in the case of persons by law allowed to affirm or declare instead of swearing; (67) vessel with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes affirming and declaring in the case of persons by law allowed to affirm or declare instead of swearing; (68) will and codicil have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Indian Succession Act,1925; (69) writing expressions referring to writing shall be construed as including reference to printing, typewriting, photography and other modes of representing reproducing words in a visible form;
64. (70) year means a year reckoned according to the Gregorian Calendar.

In enactment, where a word is defined-

1. (a) the definition shall apply unless the context of the enactment otherwise requires;
2. (b) grammatical variations of that word and cognate expression shall have corresponding meanings.