Why in news?
On 28 October 2025, the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) announced a comprehensive set of reforms to enhance transparency, efficiency and inclusivity in rehabilitation education. The changes reflect the government’s Jan Vishwas initiative for trust‑based governance and are intended to make services more accessible to students, professionals and institutions in the field of disability rehabilitation.
Background
The RCI began as a registered society in 1986 and was given statutory status through the Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992. It functions under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment with the mandate to regulate training policies and courses for professionals serving persons with disabilities. The council maintains a Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR) of qualified rehabilitation professionals, prescribes standards for training and recognises institutions as manpower development centres.
Highlights of the reforms
- Fee waivers and extended validity: The RCI has completely waived fees for the issuance, renewal and addition of qualifications in the CRR. The validity of CRR registration is extended from five to seven years, and automatic renewal is available for professionals who accumulate 100 or more Continuing Rehabilitation Education (CRE) points.
- Digital dashboard and ease of access: A new online portal allows professionals to correct their CRR details at no cost. Processing fees for institutions organising CRE programmes have been removed. Centres of Excellence are now authorised to conduct state, national and international CRE programmes.
- Designation of Centres of Excellence: RCI has recognised 144 leading institutions and universities as Centres of Excellence (CoEs). These institutions receive seven‑year approvals and can participate in expert panels for recognition and examination roles, fostering higher academic standards.
- Regulatory simplification: Approval fees for institutions have been reduced. A unified No Objection Certificate (NOC) system has been introduced to replace multiple approvals. Institutions can rectify minor deficiencies through an “improvement notice” without facing immediate rejection. Video‑based inspections will improve transparency and efficiency.
- Examination reforms: Question setters and moderators will be drawn exclusively from CoEs. Supplementary examinations will be scheduled within 75 days of result declarations to help students avoid losing a year. Grace marks will be uniformly applied for marginal failures, and random inspections will uphold examination standards.
- Promoting Indian resources: The council will encourage the use of books written by Indian authors and provide regional language resources. A dedicated link on the RCI website invites Indian authors and publishers to submit their works. Emphasis will also be placed on Indian diagnostic tools suited to local cultural and linguistic contexts.
Significance
- Student‑friendly reforms: By waiving fees and extending registration validity, the RCI makes it easier for students and professionals to enter and remain in the rehabilitation sector.
- Quality and inclusivity: Designating Centres of Excellence and drawing examiners from these institutions should enhance academic standards. Promoting Indian authors and diagnostic tools will make training more culturally relevant.
- Transparency: Digital dashboards, reduced fees and simplified approval processes align with the broader agenda of ease of doing business and trust‑based governance.
Conclusion
The sweeping reforms by the Rehabilitation Council of India aim to modernise rehabilitation education and ensure that professionals serving persons with disabilities receive quality training with minimal bureaucratic hurdles. By focusing on inclusivity, digitalisation and academic excellence, the council hopes to build a more robust and compassionate rehabilitation ecosystem.
Source: Press Information Bureau