RCI UNVEILS LANDMARK REFORMS TO TRANSFORM REHABILITATION EDUCATION
Why in News
- The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has announced a comprehensive set of reforms in rehabilitation education and professional governance, marking a transformative shift toward transparency, inclusivity, and digital efficiency.
- These reforms align with the Government’s vision of “Jan Vishwas” (trust-based governance) and “Ease of Doing Business.”
ABOUT RCI
- Established: 1992 (under the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992).
- Function: Regulates and monitors training programs and courses in the field of rehabilitation and special education.
- Objective: To ensure high-quality education and services for persons with disabilities and to maintain a Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR) of qualified professionals.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REFORMS
1. Digital Transformation & Fee Waiver
- CRR (Central Rehabilitation Register):
- All fees waived for issuance, renewal, and qualification addition — completely free for students and professionals.
- Validity extended from 5 years to 7 years.
- Automatic renewal for those with 100+ Continuing Rehabilitation Education (CRE) points.
- Free online corrections now possible through a digital dashboard.
- Institutions:
- No processing fees for CRE programmes.
- Enhanced digital governance and simplified procedures.
2. Centers of Excellence (CoEs)
- 144 top-performing institutions recognized as Centers of Excellence — a first-of-its-kind initiative.
- Includes National Institutes, Central/State Universities, and Composite Regional Centers.
- Autonomy granted to conduct State, National, and International level CRE programmes.
- Approval validity: 7 years (with automatic extensions for existing approvals).
- CoEs to play key roles in exam setting, evaluation, and expert panels, ensuring academic integrity.
3. Regulatory Simplification
- Approval fees reduced
- Common No Objection Certificate (NOC) introduced to eliminate repetitive clearances.
- Progressive Improvement Notice: Institutions can fix minor deficiencies before re-inspection.
- Video-based inspections for increased transparency and efficiency.
4. Examination Reforms
- Paper setters, moderators, and examiners to be selected only from Centers of Excellence.
- Supplementary exams within 75 days of result declaration to help students avoid losing an academic year
- Grace marks policy: Uniform and transparent application.
- Online and offline inspections to ensure fairness.
5. Promotion of Indian Scholarship & Accessibility
- Encouragement for Indian author books and regional language resources in curricula.
- Dedicated online portal for Indian authors and publishers to submit relevant materials.
- Promotion of Indian diagnostic tools adapted to local cultural and linguistic diversity.
IMPACT & SIGNIFICANCE
ALIGNMENT WITH GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
- Jan Vishwas: Building trust through reduced compliance burden and citizen-centric governance.
- Ease of Doing Business: Simplified, paperless, and efficient processes for institutions.
- Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas: Inclusive development through improved education and empowerment of disability professionals.
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