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Unit 29: Apex Bodies on Special Education: RCI and NIMH

(a) primary education (b) secondary education Notes
(c) higher education (d) vocational education

29.5 Summary

• The Rehabilitation Council of India was set up as a registered society in 1986 under the aegies
of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (then Ministry of Social Welfare) to standardize
and maintain uniform standards of training of professionals.
• RCI is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which is the
nodal ministry for disability rehabilitation in the country. The major objectives of RCI are:
(i) Regulate human resource development in rehabilitation through out the country.
(ii) Certify qualified personnel and professionals in the field of disabilities
(iii) Ensure quality, standard and uniformity in the rehabilitation programmes offered throughout
the country.
• All HRD programmes including those for intellectual disabilities are regulated and monitored
by RCI throughout the country.
• 16 categores of professionals numbering 28,460 are registered by the Council, and 42 long term
rehabilitation courses are standardized by the Council which is carried out in various
organizations through out the country.
• There are following objectives of RCI:
(i) To regulate the training policies and programmes in the field of rehabilitation of persons
with disabilities.
(ii) To bring about standardization of training courses for professionals dealing with persons
with disabilities.
(iii) To prescribe minimum standards of education and training of various categories of
professionals/ personnel dealing with people with disabilities.
(iv) To regulate these standards in all training institutions uniformly throughout the country.
• An act to provide for the constitution of the Rehabilitation Council of India for regulating the
training of rehabilitation professionals and the maintenance of a Central Rehabilitation Register
and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• Ministry of social justice and empowerment has established National Institutes for various
disabilities. National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) was established in the
year 1984 and it serves as an apex body in the area of mental retardation.

29.6 Keywords

• Rehabilitation : To help somebody to have a normal.
• Empower : To give somebody the power or authority to do something.
• Mentally : Connected with or happening in the mind.

29.7 Review Questions

1. What are the main objectives of RCI?
2. When was study fellowship intorduced by NIMH?
3. Where are the regional centres of NIMH located in India?
4. Write about rehabilitation programmes organized by RCI.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 209