Definitions.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) ‘backward classes’ means any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens recognised by the Government for purposes of Clause (4) of Article 15 of the Constitution of India; (b) ‘community certificate’ means, the certificate issued by the competent authority indicating therein the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe or the Backward Class, as the case may be, to which the person belongs; (c) ‘competent authority’ means, any officer or authority authorised by the Government by notification to perform the functions of the competent authority under this Act, for such area or for such purposes as may be specified in the notification; (d) ‘educational institutions’ means, any school, junior college, degree college, college of education, polytechnic college, industrial training institute, college of Fine Arts and Architecture, College of Music and Dance, Engineering College, Medical College, Ayurvedic College, Homeopathic College, Unani College, Dental College, College of Nursing, Nurses Training School, Health Visitors Training School, Colleges under the control of the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University and various colleges under the control of any University, established by an Act of the State Legislature and such other institutions imparting education as may be notified from time to time; (e) ‘Government’ means the State Government of Telangana; (f) ‘local authority’ means, in relation to local areas comprised within the jurisdiction of a Municipal Corporation, the concerned Municipal Corporation and in relation to any other local area in the State, the concerned Municipal Council, Zilla Praja Parishads, Mandal Praja Parishads, Gram Panchayat or township having jurisdiction over such local area; (g) ‘notification’ means, a notification published in the Telangana Gazette and the word ‘notified’ shall be construed accordingly; (h) ‘prescribed’ means, prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act; (i) ‘scheduled castes and scheduled tribes’ shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in Clause (24) and Clause (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution of India.