In a decisive move that marks a new era in rehabilitation education and professional governance, the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has announced a sweeping set of reforms designed to bring transparency, efficiency and inclusivity to the rehabilitation ecosystem across the country. The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision of Jan Vishwas, trust-based governance, and Ease of Doing Business, reaffirming RCI’s commitment to empowering students, professionals and institutions through innovation and digital transformation.

For the first time, RCI has completely waived fees for Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR) issuance, renewal and qualification addition, making the entire process free of cost for students and professionals. The validity of CRR registration has been extended from five to seven years, and an automatic renewal system has been introduced for candidates earning 100 or more Continuing Rehabilitation Education (CRE) points. Professionals can now make online corrections at no charge through a newly launched digital dashboard, while institutions will no longer pay processing fees for CRE programmes. Centers of Excellence (CoEs) have been granted full autonomy to conduct State, National and International level CRE programmes.

In a landmark stride toward deregulation and quality enhancement, RCI has designated 144 top-performing institutions and universities as Centers of Excellence—a first-of-its-kind recognition aimed at elevating academic standards and fostering healthy competition in rehabilitation education. These CoEs include National Institutes, Composite Regional Centers, Central and State Universities, and other leading organizations meeting RCI’s excellence benchmarks. CoEs will enjoy an extended seven-year approval tenure, automatic extensions for existing approvals, and exclusive participation in expert recognition panels and examination roles, ensuring academic integrity and quality.

 To simplify regulatory processes, RCI has reduced approval fees significantly and introduced a common No Objection Certificate (NOC) system, eliminating redundant procedures. A progressive Improvement Notice mechanism will allow institutions to address minor deficiencies before re-inspection, while the introduction of video-based inspections will make the process more transparent and efficient.

The examination reforms promise a fairer and more student-friendly system. Paper setters, moderators and examiners will be drawn exclusively from Centers of Excellence, ensuring higher academic standards. Supplementary exams will be conducted within 75 days of result declaration, enabling students to save an academic year, and grace marks will be uniformly applied to those narrowly missing pass marks. Both online and offline random inspections will ensure transparency and adherence to examination norms.

Further, in an effort to promote local scholarship and accessibility, RCI will actively encourage the inclusion of Indian author books and regional language resources in its syllabi. A dedicated link has been made live on the Council’s website for Indian authors and publishers to submit their works. The Council will also promote the use of Indian diagnostic tools tailored to the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

Through these wide-ranging measures, the Rehabilitation Council of India has set a new benchmark for trust-based, technology-driven governance in the education sector. The reforms reflect a visionary step towards building a world-class, inclusive and self-reliant rehabilitation education system that empowers India’s professionals to serve persons with disabilities with greater competence, compassion and confidence — truly embodying the spirit of Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.

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KV

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