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--
    
             (i) in relation to a Member of the Union Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister;
            (ii) in relation to a Member of Parliament, other than a Minister, the Chairman of the Council of States if such Member is a Member of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People if such Member is a Member of the House of the People, as the case may be;
             (iii) in relation to a Member of the Council of Ministers in a State or Union territory, the Chief Minister of the State or Union territory, as the case may be;
             (iv) in relation to a Member of Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly of a State or Union territory, other than a Minister, the Chairman of the Legislative Council if such Member is a Member of the Council or the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly if such Member is a Member of the Assembly, as the case may be;
             (v) in relation to--
                 (A) any Judge (except a Judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court) including any person empowered by law to discharge, whether by himself or as a member of any body of persons, any adjudicatory functions; or
                 (B) any person authorised by a court of justice to perform any duty, in connection with the administration of justice, including a liquidator, receiver or commissioner appointed by such court; or
                 (C) any arbitrator or other person to whom any cause or matter has been referred for decision or report by a court of justice or by a competent public authority,
the High Court;
             (vi) in relation to--
                 (A) any person in the service or pay of the Central Government or remunerated by the Central Government by way of fees or commission for the performance of any public duty except Ministers, Members of Parliament and members or persons referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) or clause (d) of article 33 of the Constitution, or in the service or pay of a society or local authority or any corporation established by or under any Central Act, or an authority or a body owned or controlled or aided by the Central Government or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), owned or controlled by the Central 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 elections to Parliament or a State Legislature; or
                 (C) any person who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty (except Ministers and Members of Parliament); or
                 (D) any person who is the president, secretary or other office-bearer of a registered co-operative society engaged in agriculture, industry, trade or banking, receiving or having received any financial aid from the Central Government or from any corporation established by or under a Central 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 Government; or
                 (E) any person who is a chairman, member or employee of any Central 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 Central Act or established or controlled or funded by the Central Government or 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 Central Government or any local or other public authority,
the Central Vigilance Commission or any other authority, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf under this Act.
             (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, the State Vigilance Commission, if any, or any officer of the State Government or any other authority,
as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf under this Act;
             (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,
made in writing or by electronic mail or electronic mail message, against the public servant and includes public interest disclosure referred to in sub-section (2) of section 4;
         (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.