Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) was set up as a registered society in 1986 under the aegies of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (then Ministry of Social Welfare) to standardize and maintain uniform standards of training of professionals. However, it was soon realised that the Society could not ensure proper standardization and acceptance of the standards by other Organizations. The Parliament enacted the Rehabilitation Council of India Act in 1992. The Rehabilitation Council of India became a Statutory Body on 22nd June 1993.

The RCI Act was amended by the Parliament in 2000 to make it more broad based. The Act casts onerous responsibility on the Council. It also prescribes that any one delivering services to people with disability, who does not possess qualifications recognised by RCI, could be prosecuted. Thus the Council has the twin responsibility of standardizing and regulating the training of professional and personnel in the field of Rehabilitation and Special Education.

Objective

  • To regulate the training policies and programmes in the field of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities
  • To bring about standardization of training courses for professionals dealing with persons with disabilities
  • To prescribe minimum standards of education and training of various categories of professionals/ personnel dealing with people with disabilities
  • To regulate these standards in all training institutions uniformly throughout the country
  • To recognize institutions/ organizations/ universities running master's degree/ bachelor's degree/ P.G.Diploma/ Diploma/ Certificate courses in the field of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities (PwDs)
  • To recognize degree/diploma/certificate awarded by foreign universities/ institutions on reciprocal basis
  • To promote research in Rehabilitation and Special Education
  • To maintain Central Rehabilitation Register for registration of professionals/ personnel
  • To collect information on a regular basis on education and training in the field of rehabilitation of people with disabilities from institutions in India and abroad
  • To encourage continuing education in the field of rehabilitation and special education by way of collaboration with organizations working in the field of disability.
  • To recognize Vocational Rehabilitation Centres as manpower development centres
  • To register vocational instructors and other personnel working in the Vocational Rehabilitation Centers
  • To recognize the national institutes and apex institutions on disability as manpower development centres
  • To register personnel working in national institutes and apex institutions on disability under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

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