In this Act, unless the context requires otherwise,-
(a) "Appellate Authority" means the Appellate Authority appointed by the Government under section 7;
(b) "Competent Authority" means the Competent Authority appointed by the Government under sub-section (1) of section 6;
(c) "Government" means the State Government of Maharashtra;
(d) "notification" means a notification published in the Maharashtra Government Gazette and the word notified shall be construed accordingly;
(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Government;
(f) "Schedule" means a Schedule appended to this Act;
(g) "school" means any primary, upper primary or secondary school,-
(i) maintained by the State Government or Local Bodies- aided or unaided or permanently non-granted;
(ii) established, administered or maintained by any private educational institution including minority school established and administered by minorities under clause (1) of article 30 of the Constitution of India whether receiving aid from the State or not;
(iii) of any Anglo-Indian School or Oriental School or Schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian Schools Certificate Examination (CISCE), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Board, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Maharashtra International Education Board (MIEB) or any other Government or private educational Board;
(iv) which may be notified by the Government in this behalf; or
(v) approved by the Government under the Maharashtra Self-financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012 (Mah. I of 2013).
Explanation.- For the purposes of this clause,-
(i) primary school shall consist of Standards I to V;
(ii) upper primary or secondary school shall consist of Standards I to VIII or VI to VIII;
(iii) secondary school shall consist of Standards I to X, VI to X or Standards IX to X;
(h) "section" means a section of this Act;
(i) "State" means the State of Maharashtra.