(a) the aims and objectives of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI);

(b) the details of the activities/programmes undertaken by the RCI including steps for creation of awareness among the differently abled persons of the various schemes for their welfare during the last three years and the current year;

(c) the nature of training provided and the number of training centres for such persons in various States, State/UT-wise;

(d) the funds sanctioned/utilized for the said purpose along with the targets fixed and achieved so far in respect of training provided to the differently abled during the current Five Year Plan; and

(e) whether the Government has any proposal to set up new training centres/introduce new training courses and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise.

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)

(a) The objectives of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) under Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 are as under:-

1. To regulate and monitor the training programmes in the field of rehabilitation of disabled persons.
2. To prescribe minimum standards of education and training for various categories of professionals dealing with persons with disabilities.
3. To regulate these standards in all training institutions to bring about uniformity throughout the country.


4. To make recommendations to the Ministry regarding recognition of qualifications granted by Universities, etc., in India for rehabilitation professionals.
5. To make recommendations to the Ministry regarding recognition of qualification by institutions outside India.
6. To maintain Central Rehabilitation Register of persons possessing the recognized rehabilitation qualification.
7. To encourage Continuing Rehabilitation Education in collaboration with organizations working in the field of disability, and
8. To promote research in rehabilitation and special education.

(b) RCI has informed that the following activities were undertaken:
i. Development/ Standardization of Training Progammes in different areas of disability rehabilitation and special education.
ii. Approval/Recognition of Institutions/Universities for running RCI approved Courses.
iii. Maintenance of Central Rehabilitation Register for registration of qualified professionals/personnel.
iv. Continuing Rehabilitation Education Programmes/ Seminars/ Workshops/Conferences.
v. Distance Education Programmes through State Open Universities
vi. Conducting examination of Certificate/Diploma level Courses in rehabilitation.
vii. Setting up of Zonal Coordination Committees for monitoring of RCI programmes/schemes in the States/UTs.
viii. Central Sector Plan Scheme of “In-Service Training and Sensitization of Key Functionaries of Central and State Governments, Local Bodies and Other Service Providers”.
Awareness about the activities and programmes of the Rehabilitation Council of India is done through advertisements released in newspapers all over India from time to time.
(c) to (e) The RCI does not provide training to Persons with Disabilities. Instead, the Council is mandated to approve Institutions/ Universities/ Organizations, etc to conduct RCI approved Courses/ programmes at the Certificate, Diploma, Degree, Master’s Degree, PG Diploma, M.Phil and Ph.D levels in the field of disability rehabilitation and special education.
Besides this, Government of India implement “Central Scheme for In-Service Training and Sensitization of key functionaries of Central & State Governments, Local Bodies & State Governments, Local Bodies & Other Service Providers” through RCI, which envisages to train 30,000 key functionaries (10,000 each for 3 years) of certain Central, State Govts, Local Bodies and other service providers connected with the disability sector from 2016-17.
This is an ongoing scheme. From 2016-17, till 2018-19 (upto 30.06.2018) an amount of Rs. 346.62 lakhs has been released to RCI and 6240 persons have been trained.

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