Know all about Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) - - Functions Role Objectives

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is the supreme government authority established by a Parliamentary Act to regulate educational initiatives geared towards the underprivileged, disadvantaged, and communities with special needs.  

The Central Rehabilitation Register, which primarily contains information about all trained professionals who run and administer training and educational programmes for the targeted communities, must be kept up to date by this only statutory council in India. 

The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992, was amended to bring definitions and debates under the purview of a bigger law, the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

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HISTORY

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) was created in 1986 as a certified society. Parliament passed the RCI Act in September 1992, and it became a Statutory Body on June 22, 1993. A parliamentary amendment in 2000 extended the Act. RCI's role includes the regulation and oversight of services provided to people with disabilities, the standardisation of curricula, and the upkeep of a Central Rehabilitation Register of all trained personnel involved in the field of rehabilitation and special education. The Act also calls for punitive action against those who provide services to people with disabilities while being ineligible. Source

ROLE OF REHABILITATION COUNCIL

• To govern training strategies and programmes in the field of disability rehabilitation.

• To standardise training programmes for professionals who work with people who have disabilities.

• Establishing minimum educational and training standards for various categories of professionals and workers who work with people who have disabilities.

• Controlling these standards uniformly across all training colleges across the country.

• To recognise institutions/organizations/universities that offer master's degree/bachelor's degree/P.G. Diploma/Diploma/Certificate courses in the field of disability rehabilitation.

• Recognize a degree/diploma/certificate granted by a foreign university/institute on a reciprocal basis.

• To promote rehabilitation and special education research.

• To keep a Central Rehabilitation Register for professionals/ staff registration.

• To collect information on education and training in the field of rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities from institutions in India and abroad regularly.

• To promote ongoing education in the fields of rehabilitation and special education through collaboration with disability organisations.

• To recognise the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre as a centre for workforce development.

• To register vocational instructors and other workers in Vocational Rehabilitation Centers.

• To designate national institutes and apex disability institutions as manpower development centres.

• To list employees who work for the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment top institutions and national institutes on disability. Source

FUNCTIONS

• To ensure that the professionals providing services to people with disabilities receive training and education of a minimal standard.

• Ensure the calibre of training courses in the fields of special education and disability rehabilitation.

• Maintain uniformity throughout the country by regulating their standards.

• To spread the word about the Continuing Rehabilitation Education Program.

• Increasing the number of people conducting research in the fields of Disability Rehabilitation and Special Education. Source

THE MISSION

RCI's mission is to regulate and supervise services provided to people with disabilities, to standardise curricula, and to maintain a Central Rehabilitation Register of all competent professionals and individuals working in the field of rehabilitation and social education.

CONCLUSION

In 1986, the Rehabilitation Council of India became a registered society. It is an apex government organisation established by parliamentary statute to regulate training programmes and courses for disabled and disadvantaged groups. The RCI Act was passed on September 1, 1992, to govern the training of rehabilitation specialists, the maintenance of a Central Rehabilitation Register, and other related topics.

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