South Asian University Act, 2008
No: 8 Dated: Jan, 11 2009
South Asian University Act, 2008
Act No. 8 of 2009
An Act to give effect to the Agreement for the establishment of South Asian University and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
WHEREAS an Agreement for the establishment of the South Asian University was signed on behalf of the respective Governments of the Member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) on the 4th day of April, 2007;
AND WHEREAS Article 1 of the said Agreement provides that the main campus of the University shall be located in India, therefore, it is expedient to make provisions for giving effect to the said Agreement;
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the South Asian University Act, 2008.
(2) It extends to the whole of India and to campuses and centres established outside India in the SAARC region.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “Academic Council” means the Academic Council of the University;
(b) “academic staff” means such categories of staff as are designated as academic staff by the Statutes;
(c) “Agreement” means the Agreement for the establishment of the South Asian University;
(d) “bye-laws” means the bye-laws of the University;
(e) “Centre” means a unit of the University or of a University Institute providing teaching, consultancy and research facilities and includes a Regional Centre;
(f) “employee” means any person appointed by the University and includes teachers and other staff of the University;
(g) “Executive Council” means the Executive Council of the University;
(h) “Faculty” means a Faculty of the University;
(i) “Governing Board” means a Governing Board of the University constituted under section 6;
(j) “Hall” means a unit of residence, by whatever name called, for students of the University provided, maintained or recognised by it;
(k) “Host Country” means the Republic of India;
(l) “Host Government” means the Government of the Host Country;
(m) “Member States” means the Member States of the SAARC;
(n) “prescribed” means prescribed by Statutes, Regulations or bye-laws;
(o) “President” means the President of the University appointed under section 12;
(p) “Project Office” means the project office set up for the purpose of carrying out necessary tasks for establishing the main campus of the University;
(q) “Recognised institution” means an institution of higher learning maintained or recognised by, or associated with, the University
(r) “Regional Centre” means a centre established or maintained by the University at any place in the SAARC region for the purpose of coordinating and supervising the work of campuses or centres in such region and for performing such functions as may be conferred on such centre by the Governing Board;
(s) “Regulations” means the Regulations of the University;
(t) “SAARC” means an organisation known as the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation established by the Charter of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation signed on eighth day of December, 1985;
(u) “SAARC region” means the region comprising the territories of the Member States;
(v) “Schedule” means the Schedule of the Act;
(w) “Statutes” means the Statutes of the University;
(x) “teacher” means professor, reader, lecturer and research staff of the University appointed or recognised by the University for imparting instructions in the University or for giving guidance to students for pursuing any course of study of the University; and
(y) “University” means the South Asian University incorporated under section 4.