Govt proposes amendment in Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992

The government has proposed an amendment in the Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992, saying the need for it has arisen in view of developments in the rehabilitation and education sector.

In a public notice, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E) proposed that the amendment in the act will make the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) provide accessible, quality and affordable habilitation and rehabilitation education, regulate the conduct of such education, meet the demand of high quality professionals and personnel in all parts of the country.

The RCI will encourage professionals to adopt latest research in their work and contribute to research, to maintain and enforce high ethical standards in services provided by professionals and personnel, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto in line with provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the notice said.

"The need for amendment to the said Act has arisen in view of developments in the rehabilitation and the education sector in the intervening years from 1992 onwards," it said.

"Further, in view of introduction of the National Education Policy, several changes would be warranted in existing programme and course objectives, deliverables, curriculum, design, content, pedagogy, duration, evaluation criteria etc." it added.

A need has also arisen to benchmark all programmes and courses with those being conducted at the national and international levels to ensure quality in rehabilitation education and to bridge the gap in quality rehabilitation care human resource, it said.

Keeping this in view, the government said the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has prepared the draft amendment to RCI Act, 1992.

The department has invited comments of all the stakeholders, including state governments/UT administrations, civil society/non-government organisations, academicians, public and private sector organizations, multilateral institutions and members of the public to submit their comments on proposed amendments within a period of 21 days. Stakeholders may submit their suggestions by mail at mailto:[e-mail]"[e-mail] latest by December 23, it said.

Under the amendment, the notice said, the council should assess demand of professionals and personnel, and develop a roadmap for meeting such demand, map programmes and courses in habilitation and rehabilitation being conducted at the national and international levels and prescribe benchmark standards for the same.

It should formulate programme and course objectives, deliverables, design, structure, content, pedagogy, duration, including number of term(s), evaluation criteria, including grading system and admission eligibility criteria, prescribe benchmark standards for granting permission to universities or institutions for conducting habilitation and rehabilitation programmes and courses.

The council should admit, conduct examination and award certificate or diploma, regulate programmes and courses at universities or institutions granting recognised qualifications, as per benchmark standards prescribed by regulations, aid and advise universities and institutions on fixation of tuition and other fees and charges to be charged to students enrolled for acquiring recognised qualification.

According to the notice, it should also prescribe fee for grant of permission to a university or institution for conducting programmes and courses, and for other purposes; to make the council financially self sustaining within a period of four years, to encourage research and development in habilitation and rehabilitation, including adoption of latest research by professional in their work and their contribution thereto, maintain separate registers for professional and personnel.

It will also ensure updation of knowledge and skills of registered professionals and personnel.