Under Section 32 of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, officers and employees of the Authority, while acting in pursuance of the Act or rules/regulations made thereunder, are deemed to be public servants within the meaning of which provision?

Section 32 of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 provides that all officers and employees of the Authority shall, while acting or purporting to act in pursuance of the Act or of any rule or regulation made thereunder, be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. This deeming fiction exposes the Authority's personnel to the enhanced criminal liability and accountability standards applicable to public servants - for instance, regarding bribery, corruption, and breach of official duty - while also entitling them to certain statutory protections associated with that status. This provision reinforces the public, statutory character of the Authority despite its commercially oriented operations.