Section 2: Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) “Allurement” means and includes offer of any temptation in the form of any gift or gratification or material benefit, either in cash or kind or employment, free education in reputed school run by any religious body, easy money, better lifestyle, divine pleasure or otherwise; (b) “Convincing for conversion” means to make one person agree to renounce one’s religion and adopt another religion; (c) “Force” includes a show of force or a threat of injury of any kind to the person converted or sought to be converted or to any other person or property including a threat of divine displeasure or social excommunication; (d) “Fraudulent” includes misrepresentation of any kind or any other fraudulent contrivance; (e) “Coercion” means compelling an individual to act against his will by the use of psychological pressure or physical force causing bodily injury or threat thereof; (f) “Undue influence” means the unconscientious use by one person of his power or influence over another in order to persuade the other to act in accordance with the will of the person exercising such influence. (g) “Conversion” means renouncing one religion and adopting another ; (h) “Minor” means a person under eighteen years of age; (i) “Religion” means any organized system of faith, belief, worship or lifestyle, as prevailing in India or any part of it, and defined under any law or custom for the time being in force; (j) “Religious priest” means priest of any religion who performs purification Sanskar or conversion ceremony of any religion and by whatever name he is called such as pujari, pandit, mulla, maulvi, father etc., (k) The words and expressions used in this Act and not defined in it but defined in any other law for the time being in force in India or in State of Uttarakhand shall have the same meaning assigned to them respectively.