PART I.--ARBITRATION

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

2. Definitions.

(1) In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, --

(a) 'arbitration' means any arbitration whether or not administered by permanent arbitral institution;

(b) 'arbitration agreement' means an agreement referred to in section 7;

(c) 'arbitral award' includes an interim award;

[1][(ca) arbitral institution means an arbitral institution designated by the Supreme Court or a High Court under this Act;]

(d) 'arbitral Tribunal' means a sole arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators;

[2][(e) 'Court' means --

(i) in the case of an arbitration other than international commercial arbitration, the principal Civil Court of original jurisdiction in a district, and includes the High Court in exercise of its ordinary original civil jurisdiction, having jurisdiction to decide the questions forming the subject-matter of the arbitration if the same had been the subject-matter of a suit, but does not include any civil court of a grade inferior to such principal Civil Court, or any Court of Small Causes;

(ii) in the case of international commercial arbitration, the High Court in exercise of its ordinary original civil jurisdiction, having jurisdiction to decide the questions forming the subject-matter of the arbitration if the same had been the subject-matter of a suit, and in other cases, a High Court having jurisdiction to hear appeals from decrees of courts subordinate to that High Court; ]

(f) 'international commercial arbitration' means an arbitration relating to disputes arising out of legal relationships, whether contractual or not, considered as commercial under the law in force in India and where at least one of the parties is--