In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--
(a) "employer", in relation to a Scheduled Act, which defines such expression, has the same meaning assigned to it in that Act, and in relation to any other Scheduled Act, means the person who is required to furnish returns or maintain registers under that Act;
(b) "establishment" has the meaning assigned to it in a Scheduled Act, and includes--
(i) an ‘industrial or other establishment’ as defined in section 2 of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (4 of 1936);
(ii) a "factory" as defined in section 2 of the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948);
(iii) a factory, workshop or place where employees are employed or work is given out to workers, in any scheduled employment to which the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (11 of 1948), applies;
(iv) a "plantation" as defined in section 2 of the Plantations Labour Act, 1951 (69 of 1951), and
(v) a "newspaper establishment" as defined in section 2 of the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955);
(c) "Form" means a Form specified in the Second Schedule;
(d) “Scheduled Act” means an Act specified in the First Schedule and is in force on the commencement of this Act in the territories to which such Act extends generally, and includes the rules made thereunder;
(e) "small establishment" means an establishment in which not less than ten and not more than [forty] persons are employed or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months;
(f) "very small establishment" means an establishment in which not more than nine persons are employed or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.