In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) “Central Vigilance Commission” means the Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 (45 of 2003);

(b) “Competent Authority” means—

(vii) in relation to—

(A) any person in the service or pay of the State Government or remunerated by the State Government by way of fees or commission, for the performance of any public duty except Ministers, Members of Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly of the State, or in the service or pay of a society or local authority or any corporation established by or under a Provincial or State Act, or an authority or a body owned or controlled or aided by the State Government or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), owned or controlled by the State Government; or

(B) any person who holds an office by virtue of which he is empowered to prepare, publish, maintain or revise an electoral roll or to conduct an election or part of an election in relation to municipality or Panchayats or other local body in the State; or

(C) any person who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty in relation to the affairs of the State Government (except Ministers and Members of Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly of the State); or

(D) any person who is the president, secretary or other office-bearer of a registered co­operative society engaged in agriculture, industry, trade or banking, receiving or having received any financial aid from the State Government or from any corporation established by or under a Provincial or State Act, or any authority or body or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) owned or controlled or aided by the State Government; or

(E) any person who is a chairman, member or employee of any State Service Commission or Board, by whatever name called, or a member of any selection committee appointed by such Commission or Board for the conduct of any examination or making any selection on behalf of such Commission or Board; or

(F) any person who is a Vice-Chancellor or member of any governing body, professor, associate professor, assistant professor, reader, lecturer or any other teacher or employee, by whatever designation called, of any University established by a Provincial or State Act or established or controlled or funded by the State Government and any person whose services have been availed of by such University or any such other public authority in connection with holding or conducting examinations; or

(G) any person who is an office-bearer or an employee of an educational, scientific, social, cultural or other institution, in whatever manner established, receiving or having received any financial assistance from the State Government or any local or other public authority,

(viii) in relation to members or persons referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) or clause (d) of article 33 of the Constitution, any authority or authorities as the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, having jurisdiction in respect thereof, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf under this Act;

(c) “complainant” means any person who makes a complaint relating to disclosure under this Act;

(d) “disclosure” means a complaint relating to,—

(i) an attempt to commit or commission of an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988(49 of 1988);

(ii) wilful misuse of power or wilful misuse of discretion by virtue of which demonstrable loss is caused to the Government or demonstrable wrongful gain accrues to the public servant or to any third party;

(iii) attempt to commit or commission of a criminal offence by a public servant,

(e) “electronic mail” or “electronic mail message” means a message or information created or transmitted or received on any computer, computer system, computer resource or communication device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any other electronic record, which may be transmitted with the message;

(f) “Government company” means a company referred to in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956(1 of 1956);

(g) “notification” means a notification published in the Gazette of India or, as the case may be, the Official Gazette of a State;

(h) “public authority” means any authority, body or institution falling within the jurisdiction of the Competent Authority;

(i) “public servant” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (c) of section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) but shall not include a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Judge of a High Court;

(j) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by the Central Government and the State Government, as the case may be, under this Act;

(k) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Competent Authority under this Act.