Definitions.

In this Act, and in all statutes and regulations unless the context otherwise requires:-

(a) “academic year” means a period of twelve months commencing on the first day of July of the year or such other period of twelve months beginning on such date as the Executive Council may specify in respect of all the study centres under the control of the University or any particular centre thereof;

(a-1) “approved institution” means an institution not being an institution maintained by the University for imparting instruction in relation to any learning process;

(a-2) “authority” means an authority of the University specified in section 14;

(a-3) “committee of courses” means the committee of courses in a faculty;

(b) “Co-ordinator” means the head of a study centre;

(c) “Correspondence-cum-Contact Programme Student” means student enrolled in any one of the study centres of the University recognised as such by the statutes;

(d) “department” means a department and includes a centre maintained by the University;

(d-1) “Director” means a Director appointed under section 11;

(e) “Director of Higher Education” includes a Joint Director incharge of Higher Education;

(f) “employee” means any person appointed by the University, and includes teachers and other staff of the University;

(g) “Government” means the State Government of Telangana;

(h) “Head of Department” means a teacher so appointed being responsible for the co-ordination of instruction, training and research in any department;

(h-1) “institution” means an institution maintained by the University;

(i) “prescribed” means prescribed by the statutes or regulations;

(j) “Secretary to Government” includes a Joint Secretary to Government and a Deputy Secretary to Government;

(k) “student” means a person who is enrolled for studies in one of the study centres and pursues studies attending the prescribed contact and correspondence programme;

(l) “study centre” means study centre within the University area where the students enroll to carry on their contact programme;

(m) “teacher” includes professor, associate professor, assistant professor or any other person engaged in imparting instruction in relation to any learning process and designated as a teacher by the regulations;

(n) “teacher of the University” means a person so appointed by the University for imparting instruction in relation to any learning process;

(o) “University” means Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Open University as constituted under this Act;

(p) “University area” means the area to which this Act extends;

(q) “University headquarters” means the place where the administrative officers are situated.