(1) The Central Government shall, within fifteen days of the commencement of this Act, by notification, constitute, for the purposes of this Act, a Board to be called the Board of Approval.

(2) The Board shall consist of--

(a) an officer not below the rank of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry or Department of the Central Government dealing with commerce--Chairperson, ex officio;

(b) two officers, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India, to be nominated by the Central Government to represent the Ministry or Department of the Central Government dealing with revenue--Members, ex officio;

(c) one officer not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India to be nominated by the Central Government to represent the Ministry or Department of the Central Government dealing with economic affairs (financial services) --Member, ex officio;

(d) such number of officers, not exceeding ten, not below the rank of the Joint Secretary to the Government of India, to be nominated by the Central Government to represent the Ministries or Departments of the Central Government dealing with commerce, industrial policy and promotion, science and technology, small scale industries and agro and rural industries, home affairs, defence, environment and forests, law, overseas Indian affairs and urban development --Members, ex officio;

(e) a nominee of the State Government concerned--Member, ex officio;

(f) the Director General of Foreign Trade or his nominee--Member, ex officio;

(g) the Development Commissioner concerned--Member, ex officio;

(h) a Professor in the Indian Institute of Management, being a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) or the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, being a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, as may be, nominated by the Central Government--Member, ex officio;

(i) an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India dealing with the Special Economic Zones in the Ministry or Department of the Central Government, dealing with commerce to be nominated by the Central Government--Member-Secretary, ex officio:

Provided that the member, being the Joint Secretary, nominated under clauses (b) to (d) of this sub-section may, if he is unable to attend the meeting of the Board, authorise any other officer to attend the meeting of the Board on his behalf.

(3) The term of office of an ex officio Member shall come to an end as soon as he ceases to hold the office by virtue of which he was so nominated.

(4) For the purposes of performing its functions, the Board may co-opt as members, such number of persons as it deems fit, who have special knowledge of, and practical experience in, matters relating to, or relevant to activity connected with the Special Economic Zones and any such person shall have the right to take part in the discussions of the Board but shall not be counted for the quorum and shall not be a member for any other purpose and such person shall be entitled to receive such allowances or fees, as the case may be, fixed by the Board.

(5) The Board shall meet at such times and places as may be appointed by it and shall have the power to regulate its own procedure.

(6) One-third of the total Members of the Board shall form a quorum, and all the acts of the Board shall be decided by a general consensus of the Members present.

(7) No act or proceeding of the Board shall be called in question on the ground merely of existence of any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of, the Board.

(8) All orders and decisions of the Board and all other instruments issued by it shall be authenticated by the signature of the Member-Secretary, or any other Member as may be authorised by the Board in this behalf.