Legal Terms Glossary

A person arrested without a warrant or brought before a court can be released on bail. Bail refers to obtaining a release by depositing a sum of money to guarantee that a person will be physically present at the required time before a legal authority.

Bail bond is the money that a person must deposit with the court when he has gotten a bail to guarantee the presence of the person before the court.

An offence for which an accused arrested without a warrant or brought before a Court shall be released upon giving bail. Bail is a right of the accused in such offences.

A Christian ritual that signifies the formal entry of a person into the Christian faith is known as a Baptism.

A Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account is an account which is a basic bank account without any minimum balance requirement. The services available in this account include deposit and withdrawal of cash at bank branch as well as ATMs; receipt/credit of money through electronic payment channels or by means of deposit/collection of cheques drawn by Central/State Government agencies and departments. To know more please look here.

The number of judges sitting to hear a particular matter. For example, a three-judge bench means that the case is being heard by 3 judges

Sexual intercourse between a human and an animal.

Beyond reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof used in criminal law. The party claiming that an offence has been committed should give the court evidence.The evidence should convince a reasonable judge that there is no doubt that the accused committed the offence.

Having more than one spouse at a time.

Bills are proposals to make a new law or to change an existing one. Only Parliament can pass a bill. In India, a bill has to be passed by each House of Parliament and obtain presidential assent to become an Act.

Photograph, fingerprint, Iris scan, or other biological attributes of an individual

Physical damage to a person’s body.

A sum of money added to a person’s wages as a reward for good performance

When the polling officials in a polling station are threatened and forced to surrender their posts, ballot papers or EVM Machines so that votes can be cast by any other person than the genuine voter, it is known as booth capturing.

When you sign a contract, you agree to take on some rights and obligations and to follow the terms and conditions of the contract. If you don’t fulfil your obligations or violate the terms of the contract, you are in breach of the contract. The other person has a right to file a case against you.

The role broker is to negotiate, facilitate and act on behalf of an individual like a tenant or landlord or insurance company. A broker can be one person, or a group of individuals represented by a firm.

Any place which is used for sexual exploitation or abuse for the gain of another person, or the gain of two or more sex workers

Capital gains is the difference between the sale price of an asset and its original purchase price.

Capitation fee is any extra money or donation that a school asks for at the time of admission

A cash credit is a short-term cash loan to a company. A bank provides this type of funding, but only after the required security is given to secure the loan. Once a security for repayment has been given, the business that receives the loan can continuously draw from the bank up to a certain specified amount.

A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop allegedly illegal activity.

Issue (someone) with an official notice of a traffic offence.

The organic substance obtained from the cannabis plant and includes hashish oil or liquid hashish.

A report forwarded by the officer in charge of the police station after investigation, containing details about the parties and the offences

Chief Electoral Officer of the State/ Union Territory is authorized to supervise the work relating to preparation of electoral roll and conduct of all elections to Parliament and the Legislature of the State.

• A person who is below the age of 14.
• For the purpose of family law, a girl who has not attained 18 years of age and a boy who has not attained 21 years of age will be considered a child.

In India, child marriage is a punishable offence where a girl is below 18 or a man is below 21 years of age, gets married. It is a punishable offence under the law.

A child in conflict with law is one who is a child-offender (i.e. a child who is believed to have committed a crime)

A police station

Anything covering a roll of tobacco is considered to be a cigarette. As long as people are purchasing, selling or consuming a roll of tobacco calling it a cigarette, it will be considered a cigarette. Beedi, cheerot and cigar are not considered to be cigarettes

With respect to Ration Cards, a Circle Office refers to an office set up to manage and issue Ration Cards to the public.

If someone deliberately disobeys any judgment, direction, order, or other process of the court, then they are disrespecting the court and this is civil contempt.

Service voters belonging to Armed Forces or forces to which provisions of Army Act, 1950, have the option of either voting through postal ballot or through a proxy voter duly appointed by him. A service voter who opts for voting through a proxy is called Classified Service Voter (CSV).

A body/institution that helps in processing of various negotiable instruments such as cheques and drafts.

Clinical Trial means a systematic study of any new drug with human participant to generate data for discovering and or verifying the clinical or effects of the drug. The objective of a clinical trial is to determine the safety and viability of the new drug.

Coca leaf is the leaf of a coca plant from which drugs like ecgonine and cocaine are derived. It does not include any preparation containing less than 0.1% of cocaine.

A codicil is a written statement which supplements or modifies an existing will.

Coercion refers to the threat or influence exercised by one party on the other party to force them to enter a contract against their own interests. There is no free consent exercised by the coerced party in these
cases. Such contracts are unlawful in nature and so are legally unenforceable. For example, holding a person at gunpoint to sign a contract of sale of property, blackmailing with harmful consequences if the contract is not signed, etc.

An offence where police can arrest without a warrant. These are offences which are of higher degree and require immediate arrest. Rape and murder are examples of cognizable crimes. In these cases, the police cannot wait for getting a warrant from the court and then arrest. The police therefore arrests the accused immediately.

In the legal world, when a court takes judicial notice of the existence of an offence, it is said to ‘take cognizance of the matter.

When two people live together in the same house.

Commissioned officers are a band of officers in the Armed Forces who are at a higher authority and have the same authority as a Gazetted Officer in the government. They are Lieutenant General, Colonel, Brigadier and a Major General.

Common Intention is mentioned in Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. This provision says that if a lot of people get together and do something illegal with the common intention of doing it, they would all be liable for the crime, individually. Basically, this means that each of them would be liable as if she/he would have done it alone, by themselves. For this section to apply, it has to be shown that people got together to do something illegal, and acted together towards achieving.

Acts of violence done due to ethnic or communal beliefs.

Any device, such as cell phones, that can be used to communicate between persons, such as by texting, by sending videos, audio or images.

Anything of value, usually money, given by one person to another for the damage caused by the person to the other person.

Any product of conception at any stage of development from fertilization until birth.

A mutual agreement between parties to settle a problem between themselves, peacefully.

A congenital disorder is a medical condition that is present at or before birth. These conditions are also referred to as birth defects.

Belonging to the same bloodline as another person by descent from a common ancestor.

Consumer Court is the special purpose court, in India, that deals with cases regarding consumer disputes and grievances. These are judiciary hearings set up by the government to protect the consumer rights. Its main function is to maintain the fair practices by the sellers towards consumers.

To complete a marriage legally through sexual intercourse.

Identifying people who have been in contact with someone diagnosed with a disease. The main purpose of contact tracing is to prevent the spread of the disease and to ensure that infected people are
quarantined as well as isolated.

Having strong feelings of dislike and no respect for something.

Contempt of court means getting punished for disrespecting the court or a judicial officer. In India there are two kinds of contempt, civil and criminal contempt.

A formal declaration by a court of law that one is guilty of an offence.

A Coparcener is a person who shares equally with others in the inheritance of an undivided estate or in the rights to it.

When the police or the armed forces allow a very limited access to an area by deploying forces in that area. Example: Sometimes the army has information of a certain rebel hiding in an area or travelling through a certain area. In such a situation they seal that area in order to catch the person or his vehicle

Any institution where people in need of correction, such as sex workers found guilty of certain crimes under this law, are kept. It includes shelters where people currently undergoing trials are kept

Professional help or advice to resolve a problem.

A counsellor is appointed by the court for the purpose of resolving the problem of domestic abuse in the house. The law does not specify the credentials/qualifications of the counsellors who will be appointed by the Court. The counselor is picked from a list of counselors prepared by the Protection Officer. However, the law does not explain how the Protection Officer will pick counselors.

The process by which the trial of armed personnel takes place before an Armed Forces Tribunal.

A small plastic card issued by a bank, building society, etc., allowing the holder to purchase goods or services on credit.

Criminal contempt of court happens when a person disrespects the court by publishing anything or doing something that lowers the authority of any court, influences or interferes with any judicial proceeding (like a legal case being heard by the court), obstructs the judicial process in any other way

Any extract of coca leaf which can be used for the manufacture of cocaine.

A regulation requiring people to remain indoors between specified hours. For example, when there is stone pelting or some other unlawful activity in some areas, the government declares curfew in those areas.

The Current Account is a transactional non-interest bearing account wherein a deposit is placed with the Bank for an unspecified period of time and the depositor can withdraw or transfer the funds whenever required through different means.

• In the context of family or personal matters, custody means the protective care or guardianship of someone or something. In the context of criminal law, custody means the police keeping someone in prison, especially while they are waiting to go to court for trial.
• In the context of criminal law, custody means the police keeping someone in prison, especially while they are waiting to go to court for trial.
• Custody can mean: The protective care or guardianship of someone or something or the state of being kept in prison, especially while waiting to go to court for trial.

The words custom and usage means rules which have been continuously and uniformly observed for a long time or have been considered as law among Hindus in any local area, tribe, community, group or family. An example of this would be ceremonies which are absolutely essential, like the performance of Saptapadi or the ceremony of seven steps.

Customer liability places the accountability on customers to prevent negligence in their consumption activities. For example, a customer who has been subject to online bank fraud will have to bear the loss of the online bank fraud in certain circumstances

A sum of money claimed or awarded as compensation for a loss or an injury by a Court or concerned judicial authority.

dB(A) is the expression of the relative loudness of sounds in air as perceived by the human ear

Dearness Allowance is paid by the government to its employees as well as a pensioner to offset the impact of inflation and to help them cope up with the increasing prices.

It is part of a patient’s medical transcripts when they die in a hospital or clinical establishment. It contains all the information including name, treatment details, cause and time of death.

An official order of a Court.

Any piece of work that hurts someone’s reputation

Any fault or shortcoming in the quality, potency or purity of the product from its expected standard.

Any fault or inadequacy in the quality, nature and manner of performance including any act of negligence and deliberate withholding of important information.

An individual’s name, date of birth, address and other relevant information. It does not include race, religion, caste, tribe, ethnicity, language, records of entitlement, income or medical history.

A person who relies on another, especially a family member, for financial support.

Technical term for the drug Heroin

Technical term for the drug Heroin

A digital code which is attached to an electronic document to verify the signatory’s identity, and authenticate its contents.

A child belonging to a disadvantaged group refers to a child with a disability or a child belonging to the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe or the socially and educationally backward class. It also includes any other group having a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or any such factor that the appropriate government may specify by a notification. Children living with or affected by HIV are also included in the category of Disadvantaged Groups.

calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage, destruction of property,
or damage or degradation of the environment.

Dispersion is the process by which pollutants are spread or diffused in the atmosphere due to air, wind or man made turbulence which further leads to dilution.

A place where there is threat to the peace and harmony as well as the security of the people due to insurgents and other armed rebel groups.

The Domestic Incident Report is a document prepared by the Protection Officer or Service Provider that records a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act of 2005. This report is similar to an FIR prepared by the police when it receives a complaint about a crime.

Any violent or aggressive behaviour within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner.

Permanent place of living.

Dower is also known as Mehr and this is the money given to the wife by the husband. The husband and his family have no right over this money.

Dowry is anything of value, including money or property, given by the bride or groom, their parents or anyone else related to them or their families. It is given to the corresponding party, either directly or to their parents, or to their families. Dowry can be given any time in connection with the marriage. Dowry is given as a condition for marriage

These are officers designated by different state governments for each state. They have some designated functions and may have additional functions assigned to them as per the decision of the state governments.

The bank receives the cheque from an Issuer of the cheque to pay the Payee/Holder of the cheque by transferring the amount written on the cheque.

The drawer of the cheque is the one who owes money and is therefore issuing a cheque. The drawer of the check writes various details including the amount of money, date and the name of the person or company to whom money is owed on the cheque.

Dry deposition is a form of acid deposition where gases and dust particles become acidic in nature. The deposition exists in both, wet and dry, forms and it can travel via wind.

An Officer who is on duty at a particular time.

E-commerce is the buying or selling of goods or services over the internet. Any electronic or digital facility used to manage the buying and selling of goods, i.e., to facilitate commerce, is known as an e-commerce platform. Shopify, AliExpress, Myntra are some examples, besides the more
well-known Amazon and Flipkart.

Organic chemical found naturally in coca leaves

Economic abuse is a form of domestic violence (abuse) over economic or monetary resources. It could be in the form of denying access to finances or preventing you from supporting yourself financially. Some examples are: not giving you money to run your household or for your children, not giving you or letting you use your stridhan (wedding gifts), selling or giving away your household goods or any other asset in which you have an interest, trying to control your money and not letting you live in your shared home

Economic boycott is if someone refuses to enter into business relations with a SC/ST member under the SC/ST law. This includes: refusing to work with or refuse to hire an SC/ST member, refusing to either provide a service to an SC/ST member, or not engaging him/her to perform a service and changing the way a certain business transaction is normally done, because the person is an SC/ST member.

Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree

Waste in liquid form; usually outflows from industries, sewage plants or wastewater treatment plants into a natural body of water.

The number displayed on the form one receives after successfully submitting the Aadhar Enrolment Form. The 14 digit enrolment ID is mandatory to quote on Income Tax Return Forms.

The election manifesto is a published document containing a declaration of the ideology, intentions, views, policies, and programmes of a political party, keeping an eye, in particular, on forthcoming elections and published and publicized on the eve of the elections

An elector in relation to a constituency means a person whose name is entered in the electoral roll of that constituency and who is not disqualified from voting.

An electoral roll is a list of voters. It is also commonly known as ‘voter list’.

Electronic Banking Transaction, also known as internet banking, e-banking or virtual banking, or online banking is a payment system that enables customers of a bank or other financial institutions to conduct a range of transactions through electronic means. It can be understood in contrast to branch banking which was the traditional way customers accessed banking services

Electronic Banking Transaction, also known as internet banking, e-banking or virtual banking, or online banking is a payment system that enables customers of a bank or other financial institutions to conduct a range of transactions through electronic means. It can be understood in contrast to branch banking which was the traditional way customers accessed banking services.

Any digital data which is attached to an electronic document, which verifies one\’s intent to sign and authenticate the document.

Elementary education refers to education from Class 1 to Class 8

A developing human organism after fertilization till the end of eight weeks (fifty-six days)

Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere.

An employee is anyone who an establishment employs and pays wages to do work for hire or reward (this includes Government employees). It does not matter whether the terms of employment are clearly
stated (like in a contract) or just implied.

Endorsement is the process in which a well-known personality agrees to feature in advertisements of a product or service, and associates their public perception to the product/service.

A person who rides horses, especially as a job or very skillfully.

A provident fund is a compulsory, government-managed savings.
Workers give a portion of their salaries to the provident fund and employers must contribute on behalf of their employees. The money in the fund is then held and managed by the government, and eventually withdrawn by the employees at a later date.

Workplace carrying on any industry, trade, business, manufacture or occupation, including Government offices.

Excise duty refers to the taxes levied on the manufacture of goods within the country.

Executor can mean: The person to whom you give the duty of carrying out the instructions given in your will, after your death, is called the executor of the will or a person who produces something or puts something into effect.

Highway designed for high-speed vehicular traffic.

If the court thinks a person is likely to commit a crime under this law, it can order that the person move out of that area for up to three years. This is called externment.

Refers to intentionally making someone scared of getting hurt to get that person to give any object of value to any person. This is an offence which is punishable with jail time up to 3 years and/or a fine.

False or misleading information presented as news.

In legal terms, a family would include members such as a child’s mother, father, brother, sister and father’s sister and brother and mother’s sister and brother.

A family enterprise means any work, profession, manufacture or business which is performed by the members of the family with the help of other people.

A fasid marriage is not a valid marriage to begin with. But it can be validated and made a fully valid marriage by either of the spouses. It is also referred to as an irregular marriage.

A Financial Year is the period between April 1 and March 31 of the following year. Your income is viewed in terms of the amount you earned in a financial year. In India, accounts are usually maintained on the
basis of a financial year (not a calendar year).

The First Information Report (FIR) is the information relating to a cognizable offence recorded in writing by the officer in charge of a police station and signed by the informant (person giving the information), to be entered in a book kept by the officer.

The act of killing a foetus.

A human baby during the period of its development, beginning on the 57th day following fertilisation or creation and ending at birth. This does not include any time in which its development has been suspended due to artificial insemination.

If a man’s physical action injures you, creates fear or annoys you and is done without your consent then he is said to have used force on you.

An event that can be neither anticipated nor controlled and includes both acts of nature (e.g., floods and hurricanes) and acts of people (e.g., riots, strikes, and wars.

Fundamental rights are those rights which are considered fundamental or essential for the existence of individuals and which a nation guarantees its citizens. In India, these are enshrined in Part III (Articles 12 to 35) of the Constitution and include the right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to exercise any religion, cultural and educational rights, and right to constitutional remedies.

Rape by one or more persons

Flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant (excludes the seeds and leaves)

A public journal and authorized legal document printed and published by the Government.

Gender affirmation hormone therapy is medicine prescribed to help a person gain the outward characteristics that match their gender identity.

When someone shows a prejudice against you on the basis of your gender.

Also known as gender dysphoria, it refers to a condition wherein one feels significantly distressed due to dissonance between one’s self-identified gender and the gender assigned to one at birth.

Non-binary or genderqueer is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male nor female — identities that are outside the gender binary.

Gestation generically means the development of something over a period of time. In context of pregnancy and child birth it is the period between conception to birth of a child.

A gift involves a transfer of immovable property from one person to another, without any consideration

A gift card is a type of prepaid payment instrument.

An act is said to be done in good faith if it is done with due care and attention.

Goods include all movable property, including stock and shares, growing crops, grass, etc. It does not include actionable claims and money, or immovable property((Section 2(7), of The Sale of Goods Act, 1913)). A good example is that of fast-moving consumer goods: candies, bread, coffee beans, packaged juice, etc. Sale of goods can be over-the-counter (such as medicines for the common cold) or through delivery (such as books from Barnes Noble).

Gratuity is a monetary benefit given by the employer to an employee at the time of retirement

Grievous hurt is any hurt which endangers life, causes one to be in severe physical pain for 20 days or make him unable to undertake ordinary activities. It includes emasculation, permanent deprivation of sight of either eye, permanent deprivation of hearing of either ear, impairment to any joint or part of body, destruction or permanent impairment of the powers of any joint or part of body, permanent disfiguration of the head/face, and fracture/dislocation of any bones or teeth

Gross Total Income is the total income earned by you during a specified period. According to Section 14 of the Income Tax Act 1961, the income of a person or an assessee can be categorised under these
five heads, <1> Income from Salaries <2> Income from House Property <3> Profits and Gains of Business and Profession <4> Capital Gains <5> Income from Other Sources. Gross Total income is the earnings from all these five heads of income when taken together.

A person who has the legal right and responsibility of taking care of someone who cannot take care of himself or herself, such as a child.

It is a petition which can be filed against an illegal arrest or detention. A person can directly file a case against the illegal arrest in the High Court or the Supreme Court.

An employer has a duty to provide protective gear and cleaning equipment for their employees who are made to clean sewers or septic tanks. When an employer does not provide any protective gear, it will be considered ‘hazardous cleaning’.

Any vehicle that is constructed solely for the use of carriage of goods, and whose weight exceeds 12,000 kgs. For example, a tractor.

Any vehicle that is used for the conveyance of people whose weight exceeds 12,000 kgs. For example, a bus for an educational institute.

Under Hindu law of inheritance, an HUF is a family which consists of all persons lineally descended from a common ancestor and includes their wives and unmarried daughters.

Any child, legitimate or illegitimate, both of whose parents are Hindus by religion or Any child, legitimate or illegitimate, one of whose parents is a Hindu by religion and who is brought up as a member of the tribe, community, group, or family to which such parent belongs or belonged or Any person who is a convert or re-convert to the Hindu religion.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body’s natural defense system.

Holder of a cheque is a person who holds a bearer cheque or a cheque that has been endorsed to him.

Refers to a tobacco pipe with a long tube which draws the smoke through water contained in a bowl.

The House Rent Allowance (HRA) is a part of the salary that is paid by employers for meeting the accommodation requirements of employees.

Causing bodily pain, disease or infirmity to any person.

This is a person residing in india without valid official prescribed documentation.

A child whose parents were not married to each other at the time of his or her birth. The term non-marital child is also used interchangeably with an illegitimate child.’

A property which is stationary and cannot be moved from one place to another, is termed immovable property and it largely refers to land parcels, buildings, individual houses, apartments etc.

To seize and legally hold custody of something. For example the traffic police may impound your a car, because you have violated the law.

It means the remaining days of ones life.

The Christian descendant of any native of India, who has been converted to Christianity, as well as the convert themselves are known as Indian Christians.(( Section 3, Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872.))

The act of killing an infant or child

A temporary order by a Court to allow or prohibit something.

An official investigation into an event after a complaint is filed.

Any latrine that requires human waste to be removed manually by a person before the waste has properly decomposed is an insanitary latrine. The removal of waste could be in the latrine itself or from an open drain or pit into which the waste is flushed out.

‘Unsoundness of mind’ is a legal term used to describe a person’s state of mind when they are incapable of making decisions for themselves. There is no precise definition for ‘unsound mind’ but it is interchangeably used with the term ‘insanity’. It is a term used to describe varying degrees of mental disorder where you are incapable of making decisions for yourself and a guardian has to do the same for you.

A short description of an arrested individual’s physical condition when they are brought into custody. It records the general physical condition and major and minor injuries to the person.

Intellectual property (IP) refers to legal rights given to inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in commerce etc

The term interim order refers to an order issued by a court while the main case continues in litigation.

In other words, it is an order passed by a Court before deciding the matter finally. An interim order is usually made by the Court for granting urgent relief to a party if they apply for such a relief.

A committee set up by an employer with more than 10 employees. This committee handles cases of Sexual Harassment at the workplace, and is made up of a presiding officer who must be a woman (preferably a senior employee), two other employees, and one person from a women’s issues NGO. At least half the members of the Internal Complaints Committee must be women. Each member can hold their position for only three years.

A method of banking in which transactions are conducted electronically via the Internet

All proceedings for the collection of evidence conducted by a police officer or any person authorized to collect evidence by a Magistrate.

The reasons arrived at by the court in order to pass the decree or order is known as a judgement((Civil Procedure Code, 1908, Section 2(9)))

A judicial commissioner is a person appointed on a non-permanent basis to a judicial office.

The accused is not in the custody of the police but in judicial custody where the interrogation is generally not permitted. Extends up to 60 or 90 days.

Area over which one has official power or authority.

The ability and power of a particular court to decide upon a dispute. Jurisdiction is of different types, such as territorial (i.e., the power to decide based on the territory. For example, the Delhi High Court has territorial jurisdiction to decide upon disputes that occur in Delhi), pecuniary (i.e., the power to decide based on the value of a particular dispute). Sometimes, certain specialized tribunals and statutory bodies are given exclusive jurisdiction to decide over a particular type of disputes like the Consumer Courts’ power to address consumer disputes.

Juvenile’ and ‘child’ mean one and the same thing under this law. If you are under 18 years of age and the police believe that you have committed a crime, you are a juvenile.

The Juvenile Justice Board or the Board is the authority that deals with Children in Conflict with Law (a child who has possibly committed a crime). Typically, each district would have a Board that would deal with affairs pertaining to that area.

It is a contract between the husband and wife with the conditions of marriage.

The head of a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), who is the senior-most male member of the family. Females and Transgender women can also be Kartas in certain states

Lease involves the transfer of possession of the property only and not the ownership, in lieu of a consideration to be paid periodically, for a specific duration of time.

Least Restrictive Care Option is an option for treatment/a setting for treatment which meets the person’s treatment needs and imposes the least restriction on the person’s rights.

A legitimate child is one who is born to two parents who are lawfully married or one who was conceived before the divorce of its parents. However, Courts have the power to deem an illegitimate child as legitimate. In these circumstances, an illegitimate child will legally be considered to be a legitimate child.

Leq is an energy mean of the noise level over a specific period.

A license is a limited right given to a person to use a property.

When someone wills a property in your name which only you can use for your lifetime and limited only to its use and nothing else, you are said to have life interest in the property. For example, Raj passed away and left Hema to use his house for her during her lifetime. Hema is said to have life interest in Raj’s house. However, she does not have ownership rights of that house, she can only use it till she is alive.

Drugs or medicine used in emergencies that require immediate administration and can potentially sustain life or prevent any complications

Any vehicle whose weight does not exceed 7,500 kgs. For example, a car.

A person’s father, mother, grandfather and grandmother, great grandfather and great grandmother and so on

A person’s children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on.

A committee set up by the District Officer that will receive and hear complaints at places where an Internal Complaints Committee has not been set up. This could be because the workplace has less than 10 workers or if the complaint is against the employer himself. The District Officer has to appoint nodal officers who will forward complaints to Local Complaints Committees within seven days

Lok Adalat is an alternative dispute redressal system where a person can settle or come to a compromise for disputes or cases pending in a court or even before the dispute is brought before a court.

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Generically the term maintenance means upkeep of property or equipment which involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure etc. Under the law the term maintenance is used to describe the money that is paid monthly, or as a lump sum amount, to the spouse as financial support after an order by a Court.

A person who is at the age of full legal responsibility. The age at which one becomes a major in India is 18 years.

A manufactured drug is usually a drug where some process has made the drug more concentrated

Material Defects for the purposes of this explainer mean defects in an immovable property that the Seller is aware of but the Buyer of the property cannot discern the same.

A certificate issued to one when he or she passes and is promoted from Grade X, and is ready for higher studies.

Maximum retail price is the highest price that can be charged on the sale of a product. The sellers can choose to sell the product at a price below the MRP, but never above it. MRP is inclusive of all the taxes,
and the seller or dealer cannot charge additionally for them.

Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is a set of norms for political parties and candidates to follow during election period so that the elections are a fair and level playing field for all candidates and political parties.

The area that separates lanes of traffic on divided roadways.

A process of mutually resolving conflicts by identifying their causes and remedies to address them, which is done with the help of a Court-appointed mediator or one sent by the Mediation Center.

Opium which has been adapted for medicinal use in accordance with the requirements of the Indian Pharmacopoeia/any other pharmacopoeia notified by the Central Government.

A medium enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in plant and machinery is more than Rs.5 crore but does not exceed Rs.10 crore.

Any vehicle that is constructed solely for the use of carriage of goods, and does not fall into the category of a light motor vehicle or a heavy goods vehicle. For example, a truck.

Any vehicle used for conveyance of people, except a motorcycle, light motor vehicle and heavy passenger vehicle. For example, a bus for an educational institute

According to Muslim personal law, the wife is entitled to either money or property from her husband when she gets married. This is known as dower or Mehr and is not considered as dowry.

Refers to what is filed by the appellant before any Court. It has details like the name of the Court, name and details of the appellants, etc,

Mental healthcare services refer to analysis and diagnosis of someone’s mental condition including treatment, care and rehabilitation.

Mental Health establishments are any establishment which is established/owned/controlled/maintained by any governmental agency, is meant for the care of persons with mental illness and where such persons are admitted and live in for care, treatment, and rehabilitation. This includes any general hospital or nursing home. However, these establishments do not include a family residential place where a person with mental illness resides with his relatives or friends.

Mental retardation is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person, specially characterised by sub normality of intelligence

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) is the 9 digit code printed on the bottom of your cheque. MICR is used while clearing cheques from one bank to another.

A micro enterprise is an enterprise where investment in plant and machinery does not exceed Rs. 25 lakh.

An act of imitation, repetition or the act of resembling someone or something.

A person under the age of full legal responsibility. In India this is 18 years of age.

Any audio or visual publicity for a product or service that falsely describes the quality, quantity, performance, usefulness, competency, price, warranty of the product or service or deliberately
conceals important information.

Any act which is contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals. It implies depravity and wickedness of character.

Although the exact meaning of the term is still ambiguous, we can have a basic understanding of the term through existing case laws. It can be defined as an act of vileness in an individual’s duty, contrary to the society’s standards of morality.

To determine whether an act involves an offence of moral turpitude,the following test can be followed:

(a) Whether the act was such as could shock the moral conscience of the society in general;

(b) Whether the motive which lead to the act was a base one; and

(c) Whether on account of the act having been committed, the perpetrators could be considered to be of a depraved character or a person who was to be looked down upon in the society.

(State Bank of India Ors. v. P. Soupramaniane, Civil Appeal No. 7011 of 2009, Supreme Court of India)

Moratorium is an action of posponing an activity for a certain amount of time. For example, a loan moratorium is the time period during a loan term when a borrower does not have to make repayments.

A mortgage is the transfer of an interest in specific immovable property for the purpose of securing the payment of money advanced or to be advanced by way of loan, an existing or future debt, or the performance of an engagement which may give rise to a pecuniary liability.

In other words, a mortgage is the transfer of an immovable property for the purpose of securing a loan, an existing or future debt, or for any kind of engagement where payment of money is required.

However, a mortgage is not a transfer of ownership but only a transfer of possession.

A mufti is an Islamic scholar who interprets Islamic law.

The ‘National Commission for Safai Karmacharis’ is a government body that has to supervise and monitor the implementation of The Prohibition Of Employment As Manual Scavengers And Their Rehabilitation Act.

A negotiable instrument is a written document that includes a ‘promise to pay’ a certain amount of money to the holder or possessor of the document. It is a mode of transferring a debt from one person to another.

In Islam, marriage is a legal contract between two people. Both the groom and the bride are to consent to the marriage out of their own free will.

A formal, binding contract is considered integral to a religiously-valid Islamic marriage, and it outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom and bride. This contract is known as the nikahnama

Offences in which bail is not granted easily

An offence for which a police officer has no authority to arrest the offender without a warrant. For example theft, cheating, defamation.

Officers who are lower in rank to the Commissioned Officers. A Sepoy, Havaldar, Naik, Lance Naik

ECR refers to Emigration Check Not Required. Generally, if you have passed class 10th, your Passport falls under Non-ECR category.

A person who has not resided in India for a specified period of time. Any Indian citizen who is not a resident of India, is an NRI, and the rate of income tax is different for these individuals.

The seven sisters states are called as North East. They are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

A notice issued by the police officer (where a person’s arrest is not required) directing a person against whom there is a complaint/information/suspicion to appear before the officer as specified in the notice.

Small courts in the village level that have been established for dispute resolution. Such courts are established through respective State laws and need not exist in all states ((Ministry of Panchayati
Raj, A Study to Review and Strengthen Nyaya Panchayats In India, available at Link:
https://www.panchayat.gov.in/documents/20126/0/A+STUDY+TO+RE
VIEW+AND+STRENGTHEN+NYAYA.pdf/5af4bd57-d247-b36d-9ca3-
a972f49077a1?t=1554869249980 As of now, such rural courts exist in the states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand only((Ministryof Panchayati Raj, A Study To Review And Strengthen Nyaya Panchayats In India, available at Link: https://www.panchayat.gov.in/documents/20126/0/A+STUDY+TO+REVIEW+AND+STRENGTHEN+NYAYA.pdf/5af4bd57-d247-b36d-9ca3-a972f49077a1?t=1554869249980)

OB-GYN is short for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A doctor who specialises in OB-GYN deals with women’s reproductive health.

A home for children established and maintained in every district or group of districts by a State Government.

Occupier can mean:The person who occupies the property which has an \’insanitary latrine\’ exists or where someone is employed as a manual scavenger is considered the ‘occupier’ of the property or a person or company residing in or using a property as its owner or tenant

An ombudsman is an official who investigates complaints usually lodged by private citizens against businesses, public entities, or officials.

A facility for children and women established and maintained by the State Government.

Solidified juice of the opium poppy

An order is a formal expression of the decision of a civil court, which is not a decree((Section 2(14), Civil Procedure Code, 1908.))

A person can be considered as an ordinary resident if he is staying in a house that he owns or rents in a particular constituency. He will continue to be an ordinary resident even if he does not temporarily reside there. For example, if Ramesh, an army man, is an ordinary resident of Defence Colony, New Delhi and gets posted in Mumbai, he will continue to be an ordinary resident of Delhi.

A woman’s modesty or your modesty is said to be outraged when you find your harasser’s behaviour to be either vulgar or something that may shock your sense of decency to such an extent that you feel very uncomfortable or even harassed.

It is a type of account in which you can withdraw money even if there are no funds in your account. The bank sanctions a specific limit and you can withdraw money up till limit.

Oxygen saturation measures how much hemoglobin is currently bound to oxygen compared to how much hemoglobin remains unbound to oxygen in a patient.

An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.

Patent is the exclusive right given by the Government through a Patent Office to a person to use or sell an invention for a certain amount of time.

The person whose name is written on the cheque or to whom the cheque is directed to be paid in the cheque is called the payee. The payee receives the money on presenting the cheque to the bank. For example, if Raj issues a cheque to Simran, Simran will be a payee.

A situation when person is alive but does not show any signs of being aware of one’s environment.

A foreign citizen who at some point held an indian Passport or whose descent is Indian.

A Persons with Disabilities(PWD) is anyone with any of the conditions – Blindness, low vision, Deaf, hard of hearing, physical disabilities, mental illness (psycho social disabilities), leprosy cured, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victims, speech and language disability, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, chronic neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, blood disorders including haemophilia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anaemia, and multiple disabilities.

People born with ‘intersex variations’ have characteristics that fail tofit the typical definition of a female or male body. Intersex variation can be physical, hormonal or chromosome-related.

Phenanthrene alkaloids are morphine, codeine, and thebaine.

To alter or edit an image/video digitally using the appropriate software, such as Adobe, etc.

Any action which involves hurting you, saying they will hurt you and doing anything which is dangerous to your life, body and health would be considered physical abuse.

A person sitting on the seat behind the driver of a two-wheeler.

Place of safety is any place or institution, not being a police lockup or jail, established separately or attached to an observation home or a special home where the person in-charge is willing to receive and take care of the children alleged or found guilty of a crime.

The place where emergency calls are answered and where the information about arrests are noted. For example: When you call 100, it goes to the police control room.

Custody of the police where interrogation of the accused is permitted. The accused will be in the physical custody of the police.

A diary in which every police officer making an investigation shall enter (day by day) his proceedings in the investigation, including the time at which the information reached him, the time at which he began and closed his investigation, the place or places visited by him, and a statement of the circumstances found out through his investigation

Polling station is the room or hall fixed in a building for holding a poll where voters in a polling area cast their votes on the day of poll. It is also referred to as ‘polling booth’.

An accepted legal principle where the person responsible for the pollution is the one who pays for the damage to the environment.

Pollution Dilution is the natural process of mixing excess amounts of air with the pollutants. Though it reduces the toxicity of the polluted air, it does not wholly render the pollutants harmless.

The custom of having more than one wife at the same time.

Any part of the opium poppy plant (not including seeds) after harvest which is usually cut, crushed or powdered. Usually the poppy husk, known as ‘bhukki’ in some parts.

A measure of the basic income for minimum expenditure on living expenses. It is used as a benchmark by the Government to determine the prevalent levels of poverty in India.

A legal document that gives a person the authority to act for another person in specified or all legal or financial matters.

As per law, pre-natal diagnostic procedures include all gynaecological or obstetrical or medical procedures such as: 1. Ultrasonography (a technique using echoes of ultrasound pulses to delineate objects or areas of different density in the body) 2. Foetoscopy (a procedure that allows surgeons access to the foetus, amniotic cavity, umbilical cord and fetal side of the placenta) 3. Taking or removing samples of amniotic fluid, chorionic villi, embryo, blood or any other tissue or fluid of a man or a woman before or after conception, for being sent to genetic laboratory or genetic clinic for conducting any type of analysis, pre-natal diagnostic tests, selection of sex before or after conception.

The legal principle based on the idea of taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty or likelihood of an event in order to fix liability on the person responsible for that event.

Precipitation is the condensation of the water vapour in the atmosphere which falls due to gravity in the form of rain, snow, hail etc.

Prepaid payment instruments are methods that facilitate purchase of goods and services against the value stored on such instruments. The value stored on such instruments represents the value paid for by the holder, by cash, by debit to a bank account, or by credit card.

Any opium product designed to transform opium into an extract suitable for smoking, and the residue after opium is smoked.

Age-related hearing loss (or presbycusis) is the gradual loss of hearing in both ears. It’s a common problem linked to aging.

A written or electronic direction from a Registered Medical Practitioner or other properly licensed practitioners such as Dentist, Veterinarian, etc. to a Pharmacist. It directs the pharmacist to compound and dispense a specific type and quantity of preparation or prefabricated drug to a patient.

A person who has official charge over some work. For example a Presiding officer is an officer who heads all the polling officers in a polling station. He is responsible for a polling station and the procedure of voting.

The year in which income is earned is called a previous year.

Court proceedings are usually public. Any member of the public can attend court proceedings in any court. In private proceedings, during parts of the case, both the public and press are not allowed to observe the procedure or process.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;

Probate is the process of proving a will in a court and having it accepted as a valid public document, that is the true last testament of the deceased.

Release of a child offender on good conduct, to be placed under the care of a parent, guardian or any other fit person/institution for not more than three years.

A probation officer is someone who works with and monitors offenders to prevent them from committing new crimes. For example, a probation officer is an officer appointed by the State Government under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 or the Legal-cum Probation Officer appointed by the State Government under District Child Protection Unit.

An action or a series of events that take place following the rules of in a court of law or any authority resolving a dispute

A person who is known by the authorities to have committed and has been jailed for many crimes in the past.

The responsibility of a manufacturer or seller to pay back the buyer for any harm caused to him/her due to any fault or shortcoming in the product or a service provided in relation to the product.

Prosecution means the act of holding a trial against an accused in order to find whether or not they are guilty of the offence.

A sexual act is carried out where money is received.

A special post created to serve as a liaison between victims of domestic violence and the system. Their role is to help women who are victims, connect with the courts, the police and various support services and they have many duties and responsibilities to the victim. The State Government appoints Protection Officers in each district (as many as is required). These Protection Officers work within certain areas where they can exercise their powers. Mostly, the Protection Officers are supposed to be women.

Any institution where people in need of care and protection are kept. They must have certain equipment, facilities and technically qualified people. A shelter where under trials are kept is not a protective home. A corrective institution is not considered a protective home.

A provident fund is a compulsory, government-managed savings. Workers give a portion of their salaries to the provident fund and employers must contribute on behalf of their employees. The money in the
fund is then held and managed by the government, and eventually withdrawn by the employees at a later date.

A psychotropic substance is any substance, natural or synthetic, or any natural material or any salt, compound, mixture or preparation of such substance or material included in the list of psychotropic substances specified in the Schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act

A system of microphones, amplifiers, and loudspeakers used to amplify speech or music in a large building or at an outdoor gathering.

Someone whose conduct in a public place is likely to cause, or intends to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone present.

In India, PDS(Public Distribution System) is a food security system established by the Government of India in 1944, to provide food and non-food related items to India’s impoverished sections.

A public servant has a public duty which is the responsibility he or she has towards the government, the people or society at large.

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, a Public Information Officer (PIO) is the authority you make the application to and one responsible for taking a decision on your RTI application.

Certain crimes are understood to be committed against the state, and thus, the state appoints a public prosecutor to lead a criminal case in a court of law.

Public Servant includes government employees, officers in the military, navy or air force, police, judges, officers of Court of Justice, and any local authority established by central or state laws.

Public tranquility is a state of absence of any form of insurrections, riots or crimes of violence in a society.

A Qazi is a priest who solemnizes the marriage in Islam.

An act of referring someone or something for consultation, review, or further action. For example, your doctor may refer you to a specialist for treatment

An organization of the government that is responsible for maintaining a database of drivers and vehicles, issuing driving licenses, inspecting a vehicle’s insurance, etc.

A government bureau that is responsible for maintaining database of drivers and vehicles. The RTO issues registration of vehicles, Driving Licenses, Learner\’s Licenses as well as vehicle registration documents/cards.

An institution to which juvenile offenders between 8 and 14 years may be sent for detention.

Money paid for work or a service

Rent Controller is an authority set up under the rent control laws of a particular State, who adjudicates issues arising out of rent agreements between landlords, buyers, tenants, sellers etc.

Refers to sending one back to one’s country, after the person has lived in another country.

A formal expression of disapproval

A retainer fee or retainership fee is an amount of money paid to a consultancy firm, freelancer or lawyer etc to have them made available to you if, when and as you need them.

Financial compensation given by an employer when they terminate an employee’s employment for reasons other than disciplinary action.

A sale of immovable property is the transfer of immovable property including the ownership of the property in lieu of a consideration i.e., the price of such immovable property;

The Saptapadi ceremony establishes the commitment the couple makes to each other during the Hindu wedding ceremony. Saptapadi literally translates from Sanskrit to ‘seven steps’. The couple takes seven full circles, walking clockwise around the ceremonial fire, representing the seven principles and promises they make to each other.

Clashes between two groups or sects.

A thing or item, like money, deposited or pledged as a guarantee of the fulfilment of an undertaking or the repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in case of default.

Self-acquired property is the property acquired by a person through his/her own personal income over his/her lifetime.

There are many organizations which help women in trouble by providing legal, medical or financial assistance. Such organizations are required to register themselves under the Act. When they are registered under this Act, they are called ‘service providers’. No one can pull up a Service Provider in court for something they have done under this Act in good faith.

Every place of work or institution has rules and regulations to be followed by the employees. These are usually called as service rules.

Member of Armed Forces – Army, Navy and Air Force. Member of Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Seema Sashastra Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, General Engineering Reserve Force and Border Roads Organisation under Border Roads Development Board. Member of Armed police force of a state, who are serving outside of that state. Person who is employed by the Government of India in a post outside India, like those working for Embassies and High Commissions outside India. Wife of someone in any of the above Upon leaving or retiring from any of these services, you will no longer be considered a service voter.

An official agreement to resolve a dispute.

It includes any procedure, technique, test or administration or prescription or provision of anything for the purpose of ensuring or increasing the probability that an embryo will be of a particular sex.

Sexual abuse is any action that forces you to engage in any humiliating and degrading sexual act. This includes forcing sex on you when you do not want to have sex or performing any sexual activity that you do not want to engage in. It can include your husband forcing you to watch pronography or to perform oral sex or anal sex. This is a form of domestic violence.

A pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction to another person

A shared household is the home (their own or rented) where the victim is living in or has lived in, while being abused. Whether they are living alone or sharing it with someone or the offender (be it partner, husband, their own family or in-laws) is of no special significance. Importance is placed on the victim having lived here during the abuse.

Means an institution established by a State Government or by a voluntary organization for the protection of children.

Sheltered Accomodation refers to a safe and secure living option for persons with mental illness, who want to live and manage their affairs independently, but need occasional help and support.

It refers to presenting the signatures in your Driving License/PAN card/voter ID card, or showing a specimen signature that is attested by a Gazetted Officer/Executive Magistrate, along with a recent photograph.

A small enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in plant and machinery is more than Rs. 25 lakh but does not exceed Rs. 5 crore

Social boycott is when someone refuses to enter into a normal social interaction with a person, and tries to keep her separate from other groups.

There is no legal definition of sodomy. However, according to several courts, sodomy means anal or oral intercourse, with a member of the same or opposite sex.

To perform the official marriage ceremony, especially as part of a religious ceremony.

The act of asking for or trying to obtain something from someone. Example:Solicitation is defined as tempting or attracting a person towards prostitution, or loitering in an area and disturbing public decency, or harassing any person for prostitution or soliciting legal advice from a lawyer.

Direct subordinate to the Attorney General of India.

A special education teacher is someone who works with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. Children with special needs require unique instruction by specially trained professionals to help them.

A unit of the police force of a district/city or any other police unit dealing with children and designated for handling children.

It refers to a special petition which allows you to be heard in appeal against any high court/tribunal verdict

This law says that for every special court set up, the state government has to appoint a government lawyer, who will be responsible for the purpose of conducting cases in that court. The government’s lawyer, under this law, has to have minimum seven year’s experience.

Specified category schools are special types of schools run by the government such as a Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya or Sainik School.

A fine that is charged immediately upon being caught and found guilty of an offence.

A husband or wife, considered in relation to their partner.

Spurious goods are fake or unoriginal goods that are usually manufactured from inferior material and try to imitate the well-known brands. For example, fake products which are similar to products of prominent brands in shape, size, color, design etc.

These work towards management, regulation and protection of the Wakf properties which are charitable properties under Islamic law.

Streedhan is the property given to the bride at the time of marriage. It is different from dowry because it is a voluntary gift given to the bride before or after her marriage. The bride has exclusive and absolute control over all her Streedhan. She has full freedom to sell, modify, use the Streedhan as she wishes. She can even decide to give it away, during or after her lifetime. Streedhan includes both movable and immovable property. Eg: Resham, on her marriage receives two gold bangles from her mother. This is her Streedhan. However, if the gold bangles had been given under coercion by the groom’s family as a condition for marriage, it would be considered as dowry.

When you as a tenant of a property further lease that property to someone else, you have said to have sub-let the house.

Subordinate Courts are courts which are lower to the High Court and administer or function in district levels.

Cases for small offences punishable with an imprisonment of not more than six months. A summary trial cannot award a punishment of imprisonment more than three months.

An order passed by a judge or magistrate directing a person to appear before it on a given date.

Cases where the offence committed is punishable by imprisonment not exceeding two years. The trial procedure is such that the accused only needs to be informed orally about the accusations and gets only one opportunity to present his/her case.

A superannuation is an organizational pension program created by a company for the benefit of its employees.

Supported Accommodation refers to a living arrangement whereby a person, in need of support, who has an accommodation, but no live-in caregiver, gets such support services from an agency to help him live independently and safely in his house.

Someone who agrees to take responsibility for a person accused of a crime.

A surrogate is an individual who carries a baby for the another woman, i.e a commissioning mother.

The person making a will

A formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law.

Cigarettes, Cigars, Cheroots, Beedis, Cigarette tobacco, Pipe tobacco, Hookah tobacco, Chewing tobacco, Snuff, Pan masala or any chewable item containing tobacco, Gutka, Tooth powder containing tobacco.

When a vehicle is parked in a space illegally, it is removed from that space by the authorities and taken elsewhere. This process is called towing.

Dealing or trading in something illegal, like human trafficking or animal trafficking

A transgender person who has transitioned from female to male.

A trangender person who transitioned from male to female.

An institution or a person which has the authority and power to judge and look into disputes is called a tribunal. Each tribunal in India is formed by a law, rule or regulation where its powers are explained in detail.

The duration of pregnancy is measured in trimesters, from the first day of your last menstrual cycle, going up to 40 weeks. First trimester is measured from week 1 to week 12 (about 3 months). Second trimester is measured from week 13 to week 27 and third trimester is measured from week 28 to birth.

The time during which a woman is not experiencing menstruation.

An unauthorized user is a person who is transacting online with your personal details without your permission.

People who have been arrested for a crime but have not been found guilty by any court, and whose trials are on-going.

Improper influence that deprives a person of freedom of choice or substitutes another persons choice instead of their own

A contract which puts one party at a disadvantage. This includes, charging excessive penalty fines for breach of contract, imposing unreasonable charges, taking excessive security deposits for completing the contract, not giving the right to terminate the contract and not accepting early repayment of debts on payment of applicable penalties.

Any unfair or deceptive method used to promote sale or use of any product or service like giving false information about the quality, quantity, performance, usefulness, competency, price or warranty of
the product or service.

Any distinctive feature or attribute that is tied to a person’s identity. For example, your Aadhar number.

Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Vehicle insurance would typically cover both the property risk (theft or damage to the vehicle) and the liability risk (legal claims arising from an accident).

Insults, name calling, taunting and threatening (but not acting) are all forms of verbally abusing someone. When this is psychological affecting you, your sense of self or self-esteem, it is emotional abuse. These are forms of domestic violence.

Victims Compensation Fund is a fund to help women victims against whom an crime has been committed, such as rape or acid attack.

denoting something from the past of high quality, especially something representing the best of its kind.

Training that emphasizes skills and knowledge required for a particular job function

A void marriage is a marriage that would be invalid from the beginning.

A voidable marriage would be one where it can be declared invalid by either of the spouses if they so wish to do so.

Watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity and gaining sexual pleasure from it.

Wages refer to all monetary payments in the form of salaries, allowances, etc. that an employer pays to a person for their work or employment, including:1) Basic Pay 2) Dearness Allowance 3)Retaining
Allowance (if any)

An order passed by a judge or magistrate empowering the investigators to either arrest a person, or search their private premises.

Officers who are lower in rank to the non-commissioned officers. They are Subedars, Naib Subedar and Subedar Major.

To immobilize an illegally parked car by the use of a metal device that is attached to the wheels of a vehicle.

A legal document that clearly sets out your wishes for the how your assets or property are to be distributed after your death.

Wind based movement is the natural movement of dirt, dust, soot, particulate matter etc. in the air via wind.

Any petition, whether civil, criminal or PIL, filed under Article 32 or Article 226 of the Constitution.

A written claim asking a Magistrate to take action because some person has committed an offence. It does not include a police report.

An FIR can be filed at any police station. The fact that the crime may not have been committed in that police stations jurisdiction has no consequence to the filing of the complaint. It is mandatory for the police to record the information provided, and then transfer it to the police station in whose area/jurisdiction the offence took place. For instance, if a crime was committed in North Delhi, the information can even be registered with a police station in South Delhi.