In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--
(a) "academic session" means the period in a calendar year, or a part thereof, during which a Central Educational Institution is open for teaching or instruction in any branch of study or faculty;
(b) "annual permitted strength" means the number of seats, in a course or programme for teaching or instruction in each branch of study or faculty authorised by an appropriate authority for admission of students to a Central Educational Institution;
(c) "appropriate authority" means the University Grants Commission, the Bar Council of India, the Medical Council of India, the All India Council for Technical Education or any other authority or body established by or under a Central Act for the determination, coordination or maintenance of the standards of higher education in any Central Educational Institution;
(d) "Central Educational Institution" means--
(i) a university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act;
(ii) an institution of national importance set up by an Act of Parliament;
(iii) an institution, declared as a deemed University under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956), and maintained by or receiving aid from the Central Government;
(iv) an institution maintained by or receiving aid from the Central Government, whether directly or indirectly, and affiliated to an institution referred to in clause (i) or clause (ii), or a constituent unit of an institution referred to in clause (iii);
(v) an educational institution set up by the Central Government under the Societies Registration Act, 1860(21 of 1860);
(e) "faculty" means the faculty of a Central Educational Institution;
(f) "Minority Educational Institution" means an institution established and administered by the minorities under clause (1) of article 30 of the Constitution and so declared by an Act of Parliament or by the Central Government or declared as a Minority Educational Institution under the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004 (2 of 2005);
(g)"Other Backward Classes" means the class or classes of citizens who are socially and educationally backward, and are so determined by the Central Government;
(h) "Scheduled Castes" means the Scheduled Castes notified under article 341 of the Constitution;
(i) "Scheduled Tribes" means the Scheduled Tribes notified under article 342 of the Constitution;
[(ia) "specified north-eastern region" means the area comprising of the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and the tribal areas of Assam referred to in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution;
(ib) "State seats", in relation to a Central Educational Institution, means such seats, if any, out of the annual permitted strength in each branch of study or faculty as are earmarked to be filled from amongst the eligible students of the State in which such institution is situated;]
(j) "teaching or instruction in any branch of study" means teaching or instruction in a branch of study leading to three principal levels of qualifications at bachelor (undergraduate) masters (postgraduate) and doctoral levels .