(1) "Academic Council" means the Academic Council of the University;
(2) "Administrator" means the Administrator appointed under this Act by the State Government;
(3) "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Governing Board;
(4) "Chancellor" means the Chancellor of the University;
(5) "distance education" means education imparted by a combination of any two or more means of communication like contact programmes, correspondence courses, online courses, broadcasting, telecasting, seminars and any other such methodology;
Note.—Through distance education a student is expected to study a course or a part of it without being present physically;
(6) "employee" means a person appointed by the University to work in the University or its study centres, off-campus centres, off-shore campus and includes a teacher, officer and any other employee of the University other than the Visitor;
(7) "fee" means collection of money made by the University from the students for the purpose of any course of study and incidental thereto, in the University;
(8) "Finance Committee" means the Finance Committee of the University;
(9) "Governing Board" means the Governing Board of the University;
(10) "Governor" means the Governor of the state of West Bengal;
(11) "Off-campus centre" means a centre of the University established by it outside the main campus, operated and maintained as its constituent unit, having the University's complement of facilities and employees;
(12) "Off-shore campus" means a campus of the University established by it outside India, operated and maintained as its constituent unit, having the University's complement of facilities and employees;
(13) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(14) "registered office" means the registered office of the University;
(15) "Regulatory Body" means—
(a) a body established by the Central Government for laying down norms and conditions for ensuring academic standards of higher education in its designated areas of coverage, including University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Science and Technology, Distance Education Council, Indian Council of Scientific Research, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, National Council for Teacher Education,
PART III] THE KOLKATA GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, JANUARY 21, 2015 3 The Amity University Act, 2014.
(Section 3.)
Pharmacy Council for India, Bar Council of India, Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Indian Nursing Council, Central Council of Homoeopathy, Central Council of Indian Medicine, Council of Architecture, Rehabilitation Council of India and such other statutory body as may be established or incorporated by the Central Government for the purpose of regulating higher education;
and
(b) the State Government of West Bengal in the Higher Education Department;
(16) "Regulatory Committee" shall mean the committee constituted by the State Government for the purpose of this Act;
(17) "Sponsoring Society" in relation to the University means the Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, a society duly registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860;
(18) "State Government" means the Government of West Bengal in the Higher Education Department;
(19) "Statutes, Regulations and Ordinances" shall mean respectively the Statutes, the Regulations and the Ordinances of the University as may be framed by the University in the manner provided under this Act with prior approval of the State Government;
(20) "Student" means a person enrolled in the University for taking a course of study leading to a degree, diploma, certificate or other academic distinction duly instituted by the University including a research degree;
(21) "Study Centres" means a centre established and maintained or recognized by the University for the purpose of advising, counselling or for rendering any other assistance required by the student in the context of distance education;
21 of 1860.
(22) "Teacher" means a Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, or any other person required to impart education or to guide research or to render guidance in any other form to the students for pursuing a course of study in the University for the purpose of this Act;
(23) "University" means the Amity University established and incorporated under section 3 of this Act;
(24) "University Grants Commission" means the University Grants Commission, established under the University Grants Commission Act, 3 of 1956.
1956.
Establishment and incorporation of the University.
3. (1) There shall be established and incorporated a University by the name of the Amity University at Rajarhat, New Town, North 24-Parganas within the territory of West Bengal duly sponsored and financed by the Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, a society duly registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 more specifically described under Schedule A of this Act.
(2) The University shall be a body corporate by the name of the Amity University having perpetual succession and common seal and shall, by the said name, sue and be sued.
4 THE KOLKATA GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, JANUARY 21, 2015 [PART III The Amity University Act, 2014.
(Sections 4, 5)
(3) The University shall be a self-financed unitary University.
(4) In all suits and other legal proceedings by or against the University, the pleadings shall be signed and verified by the Registrar or any other official as may be duly authorized by the Chancellor and all processes in such suits and proceedings shall be issued to, and served on, the Registrar or on such other official as may be authorised by the Chancellor.
(5) The headquarters of the University shall be at the University campus at Rajarhat, New Town, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal.
(6) The University may have departments or schools or centres anywhere in the State of West Bengal as may be decided by the Governing Board with prior approval of the State Government and the relevant Regulatory Bodies.
(7) All existing institutes and campuses held by the sponsoring society or any other society or trust in the State, may be integrated within the University after being subsumed by the University in due course as may be decided by the Governing Board and with prior approval of the State Government in writing:
Provided that every such institute so subsumed within the University shall, under no circumstances, be permitted to be used or operated as the University study centre, University campus, off-campus, off-shore campus or in any like manner within such period as may be determined by the Regulatory Body from time to time:
Provided further that the procedure of subsumption shall be such as may be notified by the State Government.
Properties of the University and its application.
Restrictions and obligations of the University.
4. (1) The movable and immovable properties held by the Sponsoring Society as described under Schedule B shall vest absolutely to the University with effect from the date of coming into force of this Act.
(2) The properties, movable or immovable, as vested to the University shall be used and administered by the Governing Board in such manner as may be provided for by the Regulations.
(3) The properties vested to the University under sub-section (1) shall be applied for meeting the liabilities of the University in the event of dissolution or winding up of the University in such manner as may be prescribed by rules.
5. (1) The tuition fees for professional courses such as Engineering and Technology, Management etc., in the University shall be such as may be determined by the University with the approval of the State Government from time to time.
(2) The University shall allow free-ship in tuition fees to at least five percent of their total strength, to the students belonging to poor and economically backward classes.
Note.—The relevant criteria for determining poor and economically backward class shall be such as may be determined by the State Government from time to time.
(3) The University shall compulsorily make provision for reservation of seats for the eligible domiciled students in the State of West Bengal to the extent of at least twenty-five percent of the total number of students in the University.
(4) The University shall make provisions for reservation of non-teaching posts in the University for the eligible domiciled persons in the State of West Bengal to the extent of at least fifty percent of the total number of non- teaching employees of the University.
PART THE KOLKATA GAZETTE, EXTRAORDINARY, JANUARY 21, 2015 5 The Amity University Act, 2014.
Objects of the University.
(Section 6.)
(5) The University shall appoint adequate number of teachers and officers in the University for maintaining the academic standards specified and shall ensure that the qualifications of such teachers or officers of the University shall not be lower than as prescribed by the relevant Regulatory Bodies.
(6) The University shall compulsorily place in the public domain every information in relation to the University which would be of interest to the students and other stake holders inter alia, including the courses offered, number of seats under different quotas, fees and other charges, facilities and amenities offered, faculty in place and such other relevant information.