THE RESERVE AND AUXILIARY AIR FORCES ACT, 1952 
____________ 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
____________ 

CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 

SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Appointment of competent authority. 

CHAPTER II 
REGULAR AIR FORCE RESERVE 

4.  Constitution of Regular Air Force Reserve. 
5.  Recruitment to the Regular Air Force Reserve. 
6.  Classes of person in the Regular Air Force Reserve. 
7.  Period of service. 
8.  Termination of service in the Reserve. 

CHAPTER III 
AIR DEFENCE RESERVE 

9.  Constitution of Air Defence Reserve. 
10.  Classes of persons in the Air Defence Reserve. 
11.  Obligation to register. 
12.  Liability to be called up for inquiry. 
13.  Calling-up for inquiry. 
14.  Medical examination. 
15.  Registration of persons considered fit for enrolment. 
16.  Calling up for service. 
17.  Period of service. 

CHAPTER IV 
AUXILIARY AIR FORCE 

18.  Constitution of Auxiliary Air Force. 
19.  Classes of persons in the Auxiliary Air Force. 
20.  Officers of the Auxiliary Air Force. 
21.  Persons eligible for enrolment. 
22.  Period of service. 
23.  Termination of service. 
24.  Advisory Committees. 

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CHAPTER V 
LIABILITY AND DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS OF RESERVE AND AUXILIARY AIR FORCES 

SECTIONS 

25.  Liability to be called up for service. 
26.  Application of Air Force Act, 1950. 

CHAPTER VI 
MISCELLANEOUS 

27.  Reinstatement in civil employ of persons required to perform service under this Act. 
28.  Preservation of certain rights of persons called up for service. 
29.  Pay and allowances. 
30.  Penalties. 
31.  Service of notice. 
32.  Competent authority to be public servant. 
33.  Power of Central Government to grant exemptions. 
34.  Power to make rules. 
35.  [Repealed.] 
36.  [Repealed.] 

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THE RESERVE AND AUXILIARY AIR FORCES ACT, 1952 
ACT NO. 62 OF 19521 

An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of certain  Air Force Reserve and also  an 

Auxiliary Air Force and for matters connected therewith. 

BE it enacted by Parliament as follows:— 

[22nd August, 1952.] 

CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

1. Short title, extent and commencement. —(1) This Act may be called the Reserve and Auxiliary 

Air Forces Act, 1952. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 

(3) This Chapter shall come into force at once, and the remaining provisions shall come into force on 
such date2 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, and different 
dates may be appointed for different provisions. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “Air Force Reserve” means any of the Air Force Reserves raised and maintained under this 

Act; 

(b)  “competent  authority”  means  an  air  officer  or  a  committee  consisting  of  two  or  more  air 

officers appointed under section 3; 

(c) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(d)  all  other  words  and  expressions  used  herein  and  defined  in  the  Air  Force  Act,  1950  (15  of 
1950)  and  not  hereinbefore  defined  shall  have  the  meanings  respectively  assigned  to  them  by  that 
Act. 

3.  Appointment  of  competent  authority.—The  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 
Official Gazette, appoint an air officer3 or a committee consisting of two or more air officers to perform 
all or any of the functions of the competent authority under this Act for such area as may be specified in 
the notification. 

CHAPTER II 

REGULAR AIR FORCE RESERVE 

4. Constitution of Regular Air Force Reserve.—The Central Government may raise and maintain 
in the manner hereafter in this Chapter provided an Air Force Reserve to be designated the Regular Air 
Force Reserve which shall consist solely of persons transferred or appointed to it under section 5. 

5. Recruitment to the Regular Air Force Reserve.—(1) The competent authority may, by general 

or special order, transfer to the Regular Air Force Reserve— 

(a) any officer or airman of the Air Force who under the terms and conditions of his service is 

liable to serve in any Air Force Reserve if and when constituted; 

1. This Act has been extended to and brought into force in Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and the First Schedule 
(w.e.f. 1-7-1965); and comes into force in Pondicherry vide Reg. 7 of 1963, s. 3 and the First Schedule (w.e.f. 1-10-1963); and 
the State of Sikkim vide Notification No. S.R.O. 25(E), dated 20-4-1976 (w.e.f. 1-5-1976). 
2. Chapters II and III and provisions of Chapters V and VI except so far as they relate to the Auxiliary Air Force came into force 
on  the  15th  August,  1955,  vide  S.R.O.  332,  dated  the  20th  August,  1955,  Gazette  of  India,  Part  II,  sec.  4.  Chapter  IV  and 
provisions of Chapters V and VI relating to the Auxiliary Air Force came into force on the 15th October, 1955, vide S.R.O. 395, 
dated the 15th October, 1955, Gazette of India, Part II, sec. 4. 
3. The Deputy Chief of Air Staff, vide S.R.O. 321, dated the 20th August, 1955, Gazette of India, Part II, sec. 4. 

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(b) any officer or airman of the Air Force whose commission or engagement in the Air Force has 
been terminated before the commencement of this Act and who under the terms of his commission or 
engagement was liable to serve in any Air Force Reserve if and when constituted; 

(c)  any  officer  or  airman  who  has  served  in  the  Air  Force  and  has  retired  therefrom;  and  any 

officer or airman so transferred shall be deemed to be a member of the said Reserve. 

(2)  The  competent  authority  may,  in  such  circumstances  and  subject  to  such  conditions  as  may  be 
prescribed, by special order, appoint to the Regular Air Force Reserve any member of the Air Defence 
Reserve or the Auxiliary Air Force raised and maintained under this Act, and where any such member is 
so appointed, he shall cease to be a member of the Air Defence Reserve or the Auxiliary Air Force, as the 
case may be, and shall as from the date of such appointment be deemed to be a member of the Regular 
Air Force Reserve. 

(3)  The  competent  authority  may,  for  reasons  which  in  its  opinion  are  sufficient,  cancel  any  order 
made under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) and on the cancellation of such order the person in respect 
of whom the order had been made shall cease to be a member of the Regular Air Force Reserve. 

6.  Classes  of  persons  in  the  Regular  Air  Force  Reserve.—Members  of  the  Regular  Air  Force 

Reserve shall be divided into the following classes, namely:— 

(a) general duties officers; 

(b) ground duties officers, and 

(c) airmen, and every officer shall be entitled on transfer or appointment to the Reserve to hold 
the same rank as that which he last held in the Air Force, or the Air Defence Reserve or the Auxiliary 
Air Force, as the case may be, before such transfer or appointment. 

7. Period of service.—(1) Every member of the Regular Air Force Reserve shall be liable to serve in 

the Reserve— 

(a)  if  he  is  transferred  to  the  Reserve  under  sub-section  (1)  of  section  5,  for  the  period  of  his 

Reserve liability; and 

(b) if he is appointed to the Reserve under sub-section (2) of section 5, for the remainder of the 
period for which he was liable to serve in the Air Defence Reserve or the Auxiliary Air Force, as the 
case may be: 

Provided that the competent authority may require any such member to serve in the Reserve for such 

further period or periods not exceeding in the aggregate five years as it may think fit. 

Explanation I.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “period of Reserve liability” in relation to any 
member of the Regular Air Force Reserve means the period for which under the terms and conditions of 
his service in the Air Force he was liable to serve in any Air Force Reserve if and when constituted. 

Explanation  II.—In  computing  the  period  of  Reserve  liability  in  relation  to  any  member  of  the 
Regular Air Force Reserve whose commission or engagement in the Air Force was terminated before the 
commencement of this Act, the period which has elapsed between such termination and the date of such 
commencement shall be included. 

(2)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  sub-section  (1),  no  person  shall  be liable  to  serve  in  the 

Reserve after attaining the prescribed age. 

8. Termination of service in the Reserve.—Every member of the Regular Air Force Reserve shall, 

on completion of the period of his service therein, cease to be a member of the Reserve. 

CHAPTER III 

AIR DEFENCE RESERVE 

9. Constitution of Air Defence Reserve.—The Central Government may raise and maintain in the 
manner hereafter in this Chapter provided an Air Force Reserve to be designated the Air Defence Reserve 
which shall consist of persons deemed under the provisions of section 16 to be enrolled therein. 

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10. Classes of persons in the Air Defence Reserve.—Members of the Air Defence Reserve shall be 

divided into the following classes, namely:— 

(a) general duties officers; 

(b) ground duties officers; and 

(c) airmen. 

11. Obligation to register.—(1) Every citizen of India who— 

(a)  holds  or  has  held  a  public  transport  pilot’s  licence  (“B”  Licence)  issued  under  the  Indian 

Aircraft Rules, 1937, or 

(b)  has  had  not  less than two  hundred  hours’ experience  of solo  flying,  including  not  less  than 

thirty landings, or 

(c) holds or has held a first class navigator's licence issued under the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, 

or 

(d) has had at least four years’ aviation experience during which at least six hundred hours shall 
have been spent in the air, not less than one hundred hours of such experience being experience of 
navigation in the air, or  

(e) holds or has held a first class radio telegraph operator’s licence issued under Indian Aircraft 

Rules, 1937, or 

(f)  holds  or  has  held  a  radio  telephone  operator’s  licence  issued  under  Indian  Aircraft  Rules, 

1937, or 

(g) holds or has held a licence as ground engineer in any of the categories A, B, C, D or X issued 

under the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, or 

(h) is or was at any time employed in connection with any aerodrome or in connection with the 

control and movement of aircraft, in such capacity as may be prescribed,  

shall within the prescribed period correctly fill up, or cause to be filled up, to the best of his knowledge 
and  belief  the  prescribed  form,  and  sign  and  lodge  it  with  the  competent  authority  nearest  to  his  usual 
place of residence or business: 

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply— 

(i) to any person belonging to any of the classes specified in clauses (a) to (f), if he has attained 

the age of thirty-seven years; or 

(ii) to any person belonging to any of the classes specified in clauses (g) and (h), if he has attained 

the age of fifty years. 

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions contained in sub-section (1), the competent authority may, if it 
is satisfied that  the  provisions  of that  sub-section  apply  to  any  person,  by  order in  writing,  require that 
person to furnish within such time such particulars as may be specified in the order and such person shall 
within the specified time furnish correctly to the best of his knowledge and belief the said particulars to 
the said authority in such form and manner as may be prescribed. 

12. Liability to be called up for inquiry.—Every person to whom the provisions of section 11 are 

applicable shall be liable to be called up for inquiry under section 13,— 

(a) if he belongs to any of the classes specified in clauses (a) to (f) of sub-section (1) of section 11, 

until he has completed his thirty-seventh year, and 

(b) if he belongs to any of the classes specified in clauses (g) and (h) of the said sub-section, until he 

has completed his fiftieth year. 

13. Calling-up for inquiry.—The competent authority may cause to be served on any person for the 
time being liable to be called up for inquiry under section 12 a written notice stating that he is called up 
for  inquiry  regarding  his  fitness  for  service  in  the  Air  Defence  Reserve  and  requiring  him  to  present 

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himself to such person and at such place and at such time as may be specified in the notice and to submit 
himself to inquiry by the said person. 

14. Medical examination.—Every person called up for inquiry under section 13 shall, if  and when 
required by the competent authority, present himself for examination before such medical officer as may 
be directed by that authority and, for the purposes of such examination, shall comply with the directions 
of the medical officer. 

15.  Registration  of  persons  considered  fit  for  enrolment.—If,  after  such  inquiry  and  medical 
examination as aforesaid, the competent authority considers a person fit for enrolment in the Air Defence 
Reserve, it shall inform him accordingly and enter his name and other prescribed particulars in a register 
maintained in such form and manner as may be prescribed. 

16. Calling up for service.—The competent authority may cause to be served on any person whose 
name is entered in the register maintained in pursuance of section 15 a written notice stating that he is 
called up for service in the Air Defence Reserve and requiring him to present himself at such place and 
time  and  to  such  authority  as  may  be  specified  in  the  notice;  and  the  person  upon  whom  the  notice  is 
served shall be deemed to be enrolled in the Reserve as from the day so specified. 

17. Period of service.—(1) Every person deemed to be enrolled in the Air Defence Reserve shall be 

liable for service— 

(a)  if  he  belongs  to  any  of  the  classes  specified  in  clauses  (a)  to  (f)  of  sub-section  (1)  of  

section 11, until he has completed his forty-second year; 

(b) if he belongs to any of the classes specified in clauses (g) and (h) of the said sub-section, until 

he has completed his fifty-fifth year. 

(2) Every such person, on attaining the age specified in sub-section (1), shall cease to be a member of 

the Air Defence Reserve. 

CHAPTER IV 

AUXILIARY AIR FORCE 

18. Constitution of Auxiliary Air Force.—(1) The Central Government may raise and maintain in 

the manner hereafter in this Chapter provided an Air Force to be designated the Auxiliary Air Force. 

(2) The Central Government may constitute such number of squadrons and units of the Auxiliary Air 

Force as it thinks fit and may disband or reconstitute any squadron or unit. 

19. Classes of persons in the Auxiliary Air Force.—Members of the Auxiliary Air Force shall be 

divided into the following classes, namely:— 

(a) general duties officers; 

(b) ground duties officers; and 

(c) airmen. 

20. Officers of the Auxiliary Air Force.—The President may grant to such person as he thinks fit a 
commission as an officer in the Auxiliary Air Force with designation of rank corresponding to that of any 
commissioned officer in the Air Force. 

21.  Persons  eligible  for  enrolment.—Any  citizen  of  India  may  offer  himself  for  enrolment  in  the 
Auxiliary  Air  Force  and  may,  if  he  satisfies  the  prescribed  conditions,  be so  enrolled  on  such terms  as 
may be prescribed. 

22. Period of service.—Every officer and every enrolled person shall, subject to any rules that may 
be made in this behalf under this Act, be required to serve in the Auxiliary Air Force for a period of five 
years  from  the  date  of  his  appointment  or  enrolment  but  may,  after  the  completion  of  his  period  of 
service, volunteer to serve therein for further periods each of not more than five years’ duration. 

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23.  Termination  of  service.—The  service  of  any  officer  or  enrolled  person  in  the  Auxiliary  Air 
Force may, at any time before the completion of his period of service, be terminated by such authority and 
under such conditions as may be prescribed. 

24.  Advisory  Committees.—(1)  The  Central  Government  shall,  as  soon  as  may  be  after  the 

commencement of this Act, constitute— 

(a) for the whole of India, a Central Advisory Committee; 

(b) for each State, a State Advisory Committee; and 

(c) for every unit of the Auxiliary Air Force, a Unit Advisory Committee. 

(2)  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Central  Advisory  Committee  to  advise  the  Central  Government  on 
matters connected with the Auxiliary Air Force generally, of the State Advisory Committee to advise the 
Central  Government  on  matters  connected  with  the  formation  of  squadrons  or  units  in  the  State  and 
squadrons or units already stationed in the State. 

(3) The duties, powers and procedure of Advisory Committees and in particular the matters in respect 
of which the Advisory Committees may be called upon to give advice shall be such as may be prescribed. 

CHAPTER V 

LIABILITY AND DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS OF RESERVE AND AUXILIARY AIR FORCES 

25. Liability to be called up for service.—Every member of an Air Force Reserve or the Auxiliary 

Air Force shall, during the period of his service, be liable to be called up— 

(a) for training for such period as may be prescribed and for medical examination, 

(b) for service in aid of the civil power, 

(c) for Air Force service in India or abroad. 

26. Application of Air Force Act, 1950.—Every member of an Air Force Reserve or the Auxiliary 
Air Force shall, when called up for training, medical examination or for service under this Act, be subject 
to the Air Force Act, 1950 (45 of 1950), and the rules made thereunder in the same manner as a person 
belonging  to  the  Air  Force  and  holding  the  same  rank  is  subject  to  the  said  Act  and  rules  and  shall 
continue to be so subject until duly released from such training, medical examination  or service, as the 
case may be. 

CHAPTER VI 

MISCELLANEOUS 

27. Reinstatement in civil employ of persons required to perform service under this Act.—(1) It 
shall be the duty of every employer by whom a person called up under section 25 is employed to grant 
him  such  leave  as  may  be  necessary  and  to  reinstate  him  in  his  employment  on  the  termination  of  the 
period during which he has been so called up in an occupation and under conditions not less favourable to 
him than those which would have been applicable to him had he not been so called up: 

Provided that if the employer refuses to reinstate such person or denies his liability to reinstate such 
person,  or  if  for  any  reason  the  reinstatement  of  such  person  is  represented  by  the  employer  to  be 
impracticable, either party may refer the matter to the prescribed authority and that authority shall, after 
considering all matters which may be put before him and after making such further inquiry into the matter 
as may be prescribed, pass an order— 

(a) exempting the employer from the provisions of this section, or 

(b) requiring him to re-employ such person on such terms as that authority thinks suitable, or 

(c)  requiring  him  to  pay  to  such  person  by  way  of  compensation  for  failure  or  inability  to  
re-employ a sum not exceeding an amount equal to six months' remuneration at the rate at which his 
last remuneration was payable to him by the employer. 

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(2)  If  any  employer  fails  to  obey  the  order  of any  such  authority  as  is  referred to  in  the  proviso to  
sub-section (1), he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and the court 
by  which  an  employer  is  convicted  under  this  section  shall  order  him  (if  he  has  not  already  been  so 
required by the said authority) to pay to the person whom he has failed to re-employ a sum equal to six 
months’ remuneration at the rate at which his last remuneration was payable to him by the employer, and 
any amount so required to be paid either by the said authority or by the court shall be recoverable as if it 
were a fine imposed by such court. 

(3) In any proceeding under this section it shall be a defence for an employer to prove that the person 
formerly employed did not apply to the employer for reinstatement within a period of two months from 
the termination of the period during which he was called up under section 25. 

(4)  The  duty  imposed  by  sub-section  (1)  upon  an  employer  to  grant  leave  to  a  person  such  as  is 
described  in  that  sub-section  or  to  reinstate  him  in  his  employment  shall  attach  to  an  employer  who, 
before  such  person  is  actually  called  up  under  section  25,  terminates  his  employment  in  circumstances 
such as to indicate an intention to evade the duty imposed by that sub-section and such intention shall be 
presumed until the contrary is proved if the termination takes place after the issue of an order relating to 
that person under section 25. 

28. Preservation of certain rights of  persons called up for service.—When any person called up 
under section 25 has any rights under any provident fund or superannuation fund or other scheme for the 
benefit of employees maintained in connection with the  employment he relinquishes, he shall continue, 
during the period for which he has been so called up and if he is reinstated, until such reinstatement under 
the provisions of this Act, to have in respect of such fund or scheme such rights as may be prescribed. 

29.  Pay  and  allowances.—(1)  Every  member  of  an  Air  Force  Reserve  or  the  Auxiliary  Air  Force 
shall, during the period of training or active service, receive such pay and allowances as are admissible to 
an officer or airman, as the case may be, in the corresponding rank, branch or trade of the Air Force. 

(2) Where any such member was in any employment immediately before he is called up for training 
under  section  25,  the  employer  shall,  during  the  period  of  the  training,  be  liable  to  pay  to  him  the 
difference, if any, between the pay and allowances which he would have received from the employer if he 
had not been called up for such training and the pay and allowances which he receives as such member 
while under training. 

(3) If any employer refuses or fails to pay to any such member the difference in pay and allowances 
as provided in sub-section (2), such difference in pay and allowances may, on application by the member 
to the prescribed authority, be recovered from the employer in such manner as may be prescribed. 

30. Penalties.—(1) If any person refuses or without lawful excuse (the burden of proving which shall 
lie upon such person) neglects to comply fully with the requirements of sub-section (1) of section 11 or of 
any order made under sub-section (2) of that section or with the requirements of section 14, he shall be 
punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 

(2) If any person wilfully fails to comply with any notice issued under section 13 or section 16, he 
shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to 
one thousand rupees, or with both. 

31. Service of notice.—Any notice or order to be served on any person for the purposes of this Act 
may be sent by post to that person at his last known address or may be served upon him in such other 
manner as may be prescribed. 

32.  Competent  authority  to  be  public  servant.—For  the  purposes  of  this  Act  every  competent 
authority and where the competent authority consists of a committee of two or more air officers, every 
member of the committee shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the 
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 

33.  Power  of  Central  Government  to  grant  exemptions.—The  Central  Government  may,  for 
special reasons and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, by order exempt any person from any 
obligation or liability under this Act or any particular provision thereof. 

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34. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

(2)  In  particular,  and  without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  foregoing  power,  such  rules  may 

provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:— 

(a) the composition and strength of any Air Force Reserve;  

(b) the circumstances in which and the conditions subject to which any officer or airman may be 

transferred or appointed to the Regular Air Force Reserve under section 5; 

(c) the age beyond which persons shall not be liable to serve in the Regular Air Force Reserve; 

(d) the form and manner in which the particulars required by sub-section (2) of section 11 shall be 

furnished; 

(e)  the  form  and  manner in  which  registers  shall  be maintained in  pursuance  of  section 15, the 

particulars to be entered therein, and the correction or revision of such particulars from time to time; 

(f) the pay or allowances payable to persons called up for inquiry or medical examination under 

this Act; 

(g)  the  terms  and  conditions  subject  to  which  a  person  may  be  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the 

Auxiliary Air Force; 

(h)  the  authority  by  which  and  the  conditions  subject  to  which  the  service  of  any  officer  or 

enrolled person in the Auxiliary Air Force may be terminated; 

(i)  the  constitution  and  the  duties,  powers  and  procedure  of  Advisory  Committees  to  be 

constituted under section 24; 

(j) the period and manner of training of members of any Air Force Reserve and the Auxiliary Air 

Force; 

(k) the manner in which and the conditions subject to which the rank of any member of an Air 

Force Reserve may be determined; 

(l) the constitution of the authority for the purpose of section 27 and the manner in which such 

authority may conduct any inquiry under this Act; 

(m) the authority to which an application under sub-section (3) of section 29 may be made and the 

manner in which the difference in the pay and allowances may be recovered under that sub-section; 

(n) the manner in which any notice or order issued or made under this Act may be served; 

(o) the conditions subject to which any person may be exempted from any obligation or liability 

under this Act or any particular provision thereof; 

(p) any other matter which under this Act is to be, or may be prescribed. 

(3)  Any  rule  made  under  this  section  may  provide  that  a  contravention  thereof  shall  be  punishable 

with fine which may extend to fifty rupees. 

1[(4) Every rule made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each 
House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in 
one session or in two or more successive sessions,  and if, before the expiry of the session immediately 
following  the  session  or  the  successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in  making  any  
modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter 
have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such 
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under 
that rule.] 

1. Subs. by Act 4 of 1986, s. 2 and the Schedule. (w.e.f. 15-5-1986). 

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35. [Amendment of sections 2, 4 and 31, Act 45 of 1950.] Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act, 

1957 (36 of 1957), s. 2 and the First Schedule.  

36. [Repeal of Act 36 of 1939.] Rep. by s. 2 and the First Schedule, ibid.  

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