In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--
         (a) "departure", with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means departure from India by water, land or air;
         (b) "passport" means a passport issued or deemed to have been issued under this Act;
         (c) "passport authority" means an officer or authority empowered under rules made under this Act to issue passports or travel documents and includes the Central Government;
         (d) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
         (e) "travel document" means a travel document issued or deemed to have been issued under this Act.