Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called the Tamil Nadu Siddha System of Medicine (Development and Registration of Practitioners) Act, 1997.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Tamil Nadu.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (1) "commencement of this Act", in relation to any provision of this Act, means the date of the coming into force of that provision;
2. (2) "Council" means the Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical Council established under section 4;
3. (3) "Government" means the State Government;
4. (4) "hospital", "asylum", "infirmary", "dispensary", "lying-in-hospital" and "sanatorium" means an institution where the methods of treatment is carried on in Siddha medicine and which are approved by the Council;
5. (5) "member" means a member of the Council and includes the President;
6. (6) "modern medicine" means modern scientific medicine commonly known as allopathic medicine in all its branches and includes surgery and obstetrics but does not include veterinary medicine and surgery;
7. (7) "practitioner" means any person engaged in the practice of Siddha medicine;
8. (8) "President" means the President of the Council nominated under sub-section
9. (1) of section 6;
10. (9) "register" means the register of practitioners maintained under sub-section
11. (1) of section 19;
12. (10) "registered practitioner" means a practitioner whose name is for the time being entered in the register;
13. (11) "Registrar" means the Registrar of the Council appointed under sub-section
14. (1) of section 15;
15. (12) "regulation" means the regulations made by the Council under this Act;
16. (13) "rules" means the rules made by the Government under this Act;
17. (14) "Schedule" means the Schedule to this Act;
18. (15) "Siddha medical institution" means any college or institution providing courses of study or training in Siddha system of medicine for admission to the examinations for degrees, diplomas, titles or certificates specified in the Schedule;
19. (17) "University" means any University in India established by law and having a faculty of Siddha medicine.