2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
             (a) “Advisory Council” means the National Allied and Healthcare Advisory Council constituted under sub-section (1) of section 12;
             (b) “allied and healthcare institution” means an educational or research institution which grants diploma or undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degree or any other post degree certification in any allied and healthcare professional under this Act;
             (c) “allied and healthcare professional” means any allied health professional or healthcare professional under this Act;
             (d) “allied health professional” includes an associate, technician or technologist who is trained to perform any technical and practical task to support diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease, injury or impairment, and to support implementation of any healthcare treatment and referral plan recommended by a medical, nursing or any other healthcare professional, and who has obtained any qualification of diploma or degree under this Act, the duration of which shall not be less than two thousand hours spread over a period of two years to four years divided into specific semesters;
             (e) “allied and healthcare qualification” means a recognised diploma or degree possessed by an allied and healthcare professional through regular learning mode under this Act or any additional recognised course obtained thereafter;
             (f) “Autonomous Board” means the Autonomous Board constituted under sub-section (1) of section 29;
             (g) “Central Register” means the Central Allied and Healthcare Professionals' Register maintained by the Commission under section 13;
             (h) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Commission appointed under clause ((a) of sub-section (3) of section 3;
             (i) “Commission” means the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession constituted under sub-section (1) of section 3;
             (j) “healthcare professional” includes a scientist, therapist or other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic or promotional health services and who has obtained any qualification of degree under this Act, the duration of which shall not be less than three thousand six hundred hours spread over a period of three years to six years divided into specific semesters;
             (k) “Interim Commission” means the Interim Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 20;
             (l) “Member” means a Member of the Commission or, as the case may be, the State Council, including the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Part-time Member;
             (m) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette and the expression “notified” shall be construed accordingly;
             (n) “Part-time Member” means the Part-time Member of the Commission nominated by the State Government under sub-clauses (i) and (ii) of clause (d), and nominated by the Central Government under sub-clause (iii) of clause (d) of section 3;
             (o) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
             (p) “Professional Council” means the Allied and Healthcare Professional Council constituted under sub-section (1) of section 10;
             (q) “recognised categories” means any category of the allied and healthcare professionals specified in the Schedule;
             (r) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Commission;
             (s) “Schedule” means the Schedule annexed to this Act;
             (t) “State Council” means a State Allied and Healthcare Council constituted under sub-section (1) of section 22;
             (u) “State Government” includes Union territory Administration;
             (v) “State Register” means the State Allied and Healthcare Professionals' Register maintained under section 32;
             (w) “Task shifting” means the process whereby specific tasks are moved, where appropriate to related allied and healthcare professionals specialised in those tasks, by reorganising the health workforce efficiently for improved healthcare;
             (x) “University” means a University defined under clause (f) of section 2 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956) and includes an institution declared to be a deemed University under section 3 of that Act;
             (y) “Vice-Chairperson” means the Vice-Chairperson of the Commission appointed under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 3.