The Defence and Internal Security of India Act, 1971 · I — PRELIMINARY

Section 2. Definitions

Repealed or not in force · As amended up to 2026-08

2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) "civil defence" has the same meaning as in clause (a) of section 2 of the Civil Defence Act, 1968 (27 of 1968); - (b) "enemy" means— (i) any person or country committing external aggression against India; (ii) any person belonging to a country committing such aggression; (iii) such other country as may be declared by the Central Government to be assisting the country committing such aggression; (iv) any person belonging to such other country; (c) "enemy territory" means— (i) any area which is under the sovereignty of a country referred to in sub-clause (i), or a country referred to in sub-clause (iii), of clause (b) of this section; (ii) any area which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify to be enemy territory for the purposes of this Act or any rule made thereunder; (d) "military operations" means the operations of the Armed Forces of the Union; (e) "occupied territory" means any territory of India which is for the time being in the occupation of a country referred to in sub-clause (i), or a country referred to in sub-clause (iii), of clause (b) of this section; (f) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (g) "Proclamation of Emergency" means the Proclamation issued under clause (1) of article 352 of the Constitution on the 3rd day of December, 1971[1] [or the Proclamation issued under that clause on the 25th day of June, 1975]; (h) "State Government" — (i) in relation to the autonomous State of Meghalaya, means, — (a) as respects any matter with respect to which the Legislature of Meghalaya has power to make laws, the Government of Meghalaya; and (b) as respects any other matter, the Government of Assam; (ii) in relation to a Union territory, means the administrator thereof appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution; (iii) in relation to the North-East Frontier Agency, as defined in the North-East Frontier Areas (Administration) Regulation, 1954 (1 of 1954), means the Governor of Assam acting as the agent of the President.

Source: India Code