In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
         (a) "academic year" means the year beginning on such date as a local authority may specify with respect to any specified area or with respect to approved schools generally or any approved school or class of approved schools in particular within its jurisdiction;
         (b) "approved school" means any school in any specified area within the jurisdiction of a local authority imparting primary education which—
             (i) is under the management of the State Government or the local authority, or
             (ii) being under any other management, is recognised by the local authority as an approved school for the purposes of this Act;
         (c) "attendance authority" means any person appointed to be an attendance authority under section 7;
         (d) "to attend an approved school" means to be present for instruction at an approved school on so many days in a year and at such time or times on each one of those days as may be fixed by the local authority concerned;
         (e) "child" means a boy or girl within such age group, not being less than six or more than fourteen, as may be specified in a declaration made under section 4;
         (f) "local authority" means the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the New Delhi Municipal Committee and the Delhi Cantonment Board;
         (g) "parent", in relation to any child, includes a guardian and every person who has the actual custody of the child;
         (h) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
         (i) "primary education" means education up to such class or standard, not beyond the eighth class or standard, as may be prescribed;
         (j) "rural areas" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 2 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 (66 of 1957);
         (k) "special school" means any institution which imparts such primary education as is in the opinion of the State Government suitable for children suffering from any physical or mental defect;
         (l) "specified area" means any area within the jurisdiction of a local authority in which primary education is declared by that authority to be compulsory under section 4.