Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) 'academic year' means the period of the working days commencing from February to December of every year; (b) 'attendance' means the presence for instructions on all days in the academic year during the hours notified by the State Government; (c) 'Director' means the Director of Education appointed by the Government and includes any person discharging the duties and functions of the Director; (d) 'District Education Officer' means the officer appointee as such and includes Joint Director, Deputy Director or any other officer authorised in his behalf in the Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of a District Education Officer; (e) 'district' means a revenue district; (f) 'education' means general education, technical education, adult education (including non-formal) oriental education and any branch of education which the Government may, by notification, specify; (g) 'educational institution' means a school, college, special institution or any other institution by whatever name called where the activity of imparting education, art or culture is carried on and includes an orphanage, boarding home, hostel, workshop, laboratory and every premises attached thereto but does not include a tutorial institution having less than five pupils; (h) 'Government' means Government of Sikkim; (i) 'Grant or grant-in-aid' means any sum of money paid as aid by the State Government to any educational institution; (j) 'Manager' means - (i) in relation to a government educational institution, the officer or the authority to whom the power of immediate control over the institution has been entrusted and includes principal or headmaster; (ii) in relation to any other institution the person nominated to manage the affairs of the institution and includes principal or headmaster; (k) 'minority educational institution' means an educational institution established and administered by a minority whether based on religion or language having the right to do so under clause (1) of article 30 of the Constitution of India; (l) 'Notification' means notification published in the Official Gazette; (m) 'Prescribed' means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act; (n) 'private institution' means an institution imparting education or training established and administered or maintained by any person or body of persons and recognised as educational institution by the Government and includes a college, a special institution and a minority educational institution but does not include - (i) an educational institution established by the Central Government or the State Government; (ii) an institution established by any University; (o) 'special institution' means reformatory school, school for physically handicapped or mentally retarded or other disabled or defective pupils, institution imparting religious education or any other institution which may be notified by the Government as special institution; (p) 'student' means a person who is admitted to any educational institution for learning or training and whose name is lawfully borne on the attendance register of the institution; (q) 'teacher' means any member of the teaching staff in an educational institution appointed to give instruction in that institution.