In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-

(a) “Act” means the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 (34 of 1948);

(b) “appointed day’ means with reference to any area, factory or establishment, the day from which the whole of Chapters IV and V of the Act apply to such area, factory or establishment, as the case may be;

(c) “appropriate office”, “appropriate local office” or “appropriate regional office”, shall mean with reference to any action taken under these regulations, such office of the Corporation as may be specified for that purpose under a general or special order of the Corporation;

(d) “Central rules” means the rules made by the Central Government under section 95 of the Act;

(e) 1[***]

(f) 2[***]

(g) “employer” means the principal employer as defined in the Act;

(h) “employer’s code number” means the registration number allotted by the appropriate regional office to a factory or establishment for the purposes of the Act, the rules and these regulations;

(i) “factory or establishment” means a factory or an establishment to which the Act applies;

(j) “form” means a form appended to these regulations;

3[(k) “identity card” means a permanent identity card issued by the appropriate office to an insured person for identification for the purposes of the Act, the rules and these regulations;]

(kk) “family identity card” means a card issued by the appropriate office to an insured person for identification of his family for the purposes of the Act, the rules and these regulations;

(l) “inspector” means a person appointed as such by the Corporation under section 45 of the Act;

(m) “instructions” means instructions or orders issued by the Corporation or by such officer or officers of the Corporation as may be authorized by the Corporation in this behalf;

(n) ‘insurance medical officer’ means a medical practitioner appointed as such to provide medical benefit and to perform such other functions as may be assigned to him and shall be deemed to be a duly appointed medical practitioner for the purposes of Chapter V of the Act;

(o) “insurance number” means a number allotted by the appropriate office to an employee for the purposes of the Act, the rules and these regulations;

(p) “local office” and “regional office” shall mean, according to the context, such subordinate office of the Corporation, set up at such place and with such jurisdiction and functions as the Corporation may, from time to time determine;

(q) “local office manager” means a person appointed by the Corporation as such or the office-in-charge of a local office;

(r) “state rules” means the rules made by a State Government under section 96 of the Act;

(s) “regional director” means a person appointed by the Corporation as such for a specified region;

(t) “registered midwife” means a person who is registered as a midwife under any law in force in any State providing for registration of nurses and midwives

(u) “rules” means rules made by the Central or a State Government under the Act;

(v) “specified” means specified by instructions issued from time to time by the Corporation or any authorized officer;

(w) “Year” means a calendar year except when specifically stated otherwise;

(x) All other words and expressions have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Act or the rules, as the case may be.