2Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--

(a) "agriculture" includes horticulture, animal husbandry, forestry, dairy and poultry farming, pisciculture, and other allied activities, whether or not undertaken jointly with agriculture and the expression "agricultural operations" shall be construed accordingly.

Explanation.--For the purposes of this clause, "pisciculture" includes the development of fisheries, both inland and marine, catching of fish and all activities connected therewith or incidental thereto;

(b) "Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation" means the Corporation established under section 3 of the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation Act, 1963 (10 of 1963), and renamed under section 3A of that Act as the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation;

(c) "Board" means the Board of Directors of the National Bank;

(d) "central co-operative bank" means the principal co-operative society in a district in a State, the primary object of which is the financing of other co-operative societies in that district:

Provided that in addition to such principal society in a district, or where there is no such principal society in a district, the State Government may declare any one or more co-operative societies carrying on the business of financing other co-operative societies in that district to be also or to be a central co-operative bank or central co-operative banks within the meaning of this definition;

(e) "Chairman" means the Chairman ¹*** appointed under section 6;

(f) "co-operative society" means a society registered, or deemed to be registered, under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 (2 of 1912) or any other law relating to co-operative societies for the time being in force in any State;

(g) "crops" includes products of agricultural operations;

(h) "director" means a director appointed under section 6;

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(j) "Managing Director" means the Managing Director appointed under section 6;

(k) "marketing of crops" includes the processing of crops prior to marketing by any agricultural producers or any organisation of such producers;

³[(ka) "micro enterprise", "small enterprise" and "medium enterprise", shall have the same meanings as are respectively assigned to them in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006)];

(l) "National Bank" means the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development established under section 3;

(m) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;

(n) "primary rural credit society" means a co-operative society, by whatever name called,--

(1) which has as its object or business the provision of financial accommodation to its members for agriculture or agricultural operations or for the marketing of crops, or for rural development; and

(2) the bye-laws of which do not permit admission of any other co-operative society as member:

Provided that this sub-clause shall not apply to the admission, as a member, of a co-operative society, which is a State co-operative bank or a central co-operative bank by reason of such bank subscribing to the share capital of the co-operative society out of funds provided by the State Government for the purpose;

(o) "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations made under this Act;

(p) "regional rural bank" means a regional rural bank established under section 3 of the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 (21 of 1976);

(q) "rural development" means development of rural areas through any activities conducive to such development.

Explanation.--For the purposes of this clause,--

(a) activities conducive to development of rural areas include activities relating to production of goods or provision of services in rural areas and activities for the promotion of cottage and village industries, ⁴[micro-enterprises, small enterprises and medium enterprises, handicrafts, handlooms] and other rural crafts;

(b) "rural area" means the area comprised in any village and includes the area comprised in any town, the population of which does not exceed ten thousand or such other figure as the Reserve Bank may specify from time to time;

(r) "Reserve Bank" means the Reserve Bank of India constituted under section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);

(s) "scheduled bank" means a bank for the time being included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);

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(u) "State co-operative bank" means the principal co- operative society in a State, the primary object of which is the financing of other co-operative societies in the State:

Provided that in addition to such principal society in a State, or where there is no such principal society in a State, the State Government may declare any one or more co-operative societies carrying on business in that State to be also or to be a State co-operative bank or State co-operative banks within the meaning of this definition;

(v) "State land development bank" means the co-operative society which is the principal land development bank (by whatever name called) in a State and which has as its primary object the providing of long-term finance for agricultural development:

Provided that, in addition to such principal land development bank in a State, or where there is no such bank in a State, the State Government may declare any co-operative society carrying on business in that State and authorised by the bye-laws of such co-operative society to provide long-term finance for agricultural development to be also or to be a State land development bank within the meaning of this definition;

(w) words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act;

(x) words and expressions used herein and not defined either in this Act or in the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), but defined in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.