Section 2 — Definitions.

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “appropriate Government” means,— 

(i) in relation to any employment carried on by or under the authority of the Central 

Government or a railway administration, or in relation to a banking company, a mine, oilfield or 

major port or any corporation established by or under a Central Act, the Central Government, and 

(ii) in relation to any other employment, the State Government; 

(b) “commencement of this Act” means, in relation to an establishment or employment, the date 

on which this Act comes into force in respect of that establishment or employment; 

(c) “employer” has the meaning assigned to it in clause (f) of section 2 of the Payment of Gratuity 

Act, 1972 (39 of 1972); 

(d) “man” and “woman” mean male and female human beings, respectively, of any age; 

(e) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette; 

(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(g) “remuneration” means the basic wage or salary, and any additional emoluments whatsoever 

payable, either in cash or in kind, to a person employed in respect of employment or work done in 

such employment, if the terms of the contract of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled; 

(h) “same work or work of a similar nature” means work in respect of which the skill, effort and 

responsibility required are the same, when performed under similar working conditions, by a man or a 

woman and the differences, if any, between the skill, effort and responsibility required of a man and 

those required of a woman are not of practical importance in relation to the terms and conditions of 

employment; 

(i) “worker” means a worker in any establishment or employment in respect of which this Act has 

come into force; 

(j) words and expressions used in this Act and not defined but defined in the Industrial Disputes 

Act, 1947 (14 of 1947), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act. 

                                                           
1. 8th March, 1976, vide notification No. S.O. 175(E), dated 6th March, 1976, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II,       

sec. 3(ii). 



3