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The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992
This Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the1st September 1992.
CHAPTER ONE: PRELIMINARY SECTION
1. Short title and Commencement
2. Definition
CHAPTER TWO: REHABILITATION COUNCIL OF INDIA
3. Constitution and incorporation of Rehabilitation
Council of India
4. Term of office of Chairperson and Members
5. Disqualification
6. Vacation of office by members
7. Executive Committee and other Committees
8. Member Secretary and Employees of Council
9. Vacancies in the Council not to invalidate date acts,
etc
10. Dissolution of Rehabilitation Council and transfer of
right
CHAPTER THREE: FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
11. Recognition of qualifications granted
by university etc., in India for rehabilitation professionals
12. Recognition of qualification by Institutions outside
India
13. Rights of persons possessing qualifications included
in the schedule to be enrolled
14. Power to require information as to courses of study
and examination
15. Inspectors at examinations
16. Visitors at examination
17. Withdrawal of recognition
18. Minimum standards of education
19. Registration in Register
20. Privileges of persons who are registered on Register
21. Professional Conduct and removal of names from Register
22. Appeal against Order of removal from Register
23. Register
24. Information to be furnished by council and publication
thereof
25. Cognizance of offenses
26. Protection of action taken in good faith
27. Employees of Council to be public servants
28. Power to make rules
29. Power to make regulations
30. Laying of rules and regulations before Parliament
THE REHABILITATION COUNCIL OF INDIA ACT 1992
No. 34 of 1992
(1st September, 1992)
This Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the1st September 1992. 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.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-third year of the Republic of India as follows:
1. (1) This Act may be called the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992. (Short title and commencement).
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint.
2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires: -
- "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Council appointed under sub-section (3) of section 3;
- "Council" means the Rehabilitation Council of India constituted under section 3;
- "Handicapped" means a person
- "Hearing handicap" means deafness with hearing impairment of 70 decibels and above, in the better ear or total loss of hearing in both ears;
- "Locomotor disability" means a person's inability to execute distinctive activities associated with moving, both himself and objects, from place, and such inability resulting from affliction of either bones, joints, muscles or nerves;
- "member" means a member appointed under sub-section 3 of section 3 and includes the Chairperson;
- "member Secretary" means the Member-secretary appointed under sub-section (1) of section 8;
- "mental retardation" means a condition of arrested or in-complete development of mind of a person which is specially characterised by sub-normality of intelligence;
- "notification" means a notification published in the official Gazette;
- "prescribed: means prescribed by regulation;
- "recognised rehabilitation qualifications" means any of the qualifications included in the schedule;
- "Register" means the central Rehabilitation Register maintained under sub-section (1) of section 23;
- "regulations" means regulations made under this Act;
- "rehabilitation professionals' means
- audiologists and speech therapists;
- clinical psychologists;
- hearing aid and ear mould technicians;
- rehabilitation engineers and technicians;
- special teachers for educating and training the disabled;
- vocational counsellors, employment officers and placement officers dealing with disabled;
- multi-purpose rehabilitation therapists, technicians; or
- such other category of professionals as the central Government may, in consultation with the council notify from time to time.
- "Visually disabled" means a person who suffers from any of the following conditions, namely:-
(i) Visually disabled.
(ii) Hearing disabled.
(iii) Suffering from locomotor disability; or
(iv) Suffering from mental retardation
(i) total absence of sight;
(ii) visual acuity not exceeding 6/60 or 20/200 (snellen) in the better eye with the correcting lenses; or
(iii) limitations of the field of vision subtending and angle of 20 degree or worse.
(2) Any reference in this Act to any enactment or any provision thereof shall, in relation to an area in which such enactment or such provision is not in force, be construed as a reference to the corresponding law or the relevant provision of the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.
CHAPTER TWO:THE REHABILITATION COUNCIL OF INDIA
Constitution and incorporation of Rehabilitation Council of India
3. (1) With effect from such date as the central government may by notification, appoint in this behalf, there shall be constituted for the purposes of this Act a council to be called the Rehabilitation Council of India.
(Constitution and incorporation of Rehabilitation Council of India)
(2) The Council shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power, subject to the provisions of this Act to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable and to contract and shall by the said name sue and be sued.
(3) The council shall consist of the following members namely:
- a chairperson, from amongst the persons having experience in social work or rehabilitation, to be appointed by the central government.
- Three members to be appointed by the central government to represent respectively the Ministries of the Central Government dealing with
(i) Welfare;
(ii) Health; and
(iii) Finance;
- one member to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the University Grants Commissions;
- one member to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the Directorate General of Indian Council of Medical Research.
- Two members to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the Ministry of department of the states or the union territories dealing with social welfare by rotation in alphabetical order.
- Such number of members not exceeding six as
may be appointed by the central
Government from amongst the rehabilitation professionals working in voluntary organisations. - Such number of members not exceeding four as may
be appointed by the Central
Government from amongst the medical practitioners enrolled under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and engaged in rehabilitation of the disabled. - Three members of parliament of whom two shall be
elected by the House of the
People and one by the Council of States; - Such number of members not exceeding three as may be nominated by the Central Government from amongst the social workers who are actively engaged in assisting the disabled;
- The Member-Secretary, ex-officio
Term of office of Chairperson and Members
4. (1) (Term of office of chairperson and members).
The Chairperson or a member shall hold office for a term of two years from the date of his appointment or until his successor shall have been duly appointed, whichever is longer.
(2) A casual vacancy in the Council shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of section 3 and the person so appointed shall hold office only for the remainder of the term for which the member in whose place he was appointed would have held that office.
(3) The council shall meet at least once in each year at such time and place as may be appointed by the council and shall observe such rules of procedure in the transaction of business at a meeting as may be prescribed.
(4) The chairperson or, if for any reason, he is unable to attend the meeting of the council, any member elected by the members present from amongst themselves at the meeting shall preside at the meeting.
(5) All questions which come up before any meeting of the council shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of an equality of votes, the chairperson or in his absence the person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.
5. No person shall be a member if he:
(Disqualifications)
- is, or has becomes of unsound mind or is so declared by a competent court; or
- is, or has been, convicted of any offence which in the opinion of the Central Government, involves moral turpitude; or
- is, or at any time has been, adjudicated as insolvent.
6. If a member: (Vacation of office by members)
- becomes subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in section 5; or
- is absent without excuse, sufficient in the opinion of the council, from three consecutive meetings of the council; or
- ceases to be enrolled on the Indian Medical Register in the case of a member referred to in clause (g) of sub-section (3) of section 3, his seat shall thereupon become vacant.]
Executive Committee and other Committees
7. (1) the Council shall constitute from amongst its members an Executive Committee and such other committees for general or special purposes as the Council deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. (Executive Committee and other committees).
(2) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson who shall be member
ex offcio and not less than seven and not more than ten members who shall be nominated by the council from amongst its members.(3) The Chairperson shall be the Chairperson of the Executive Committee.
(4) In addition to the powers and duties conferred and imposed upon it by this Act, the executive committee or any other committee shall exercise and discharge such powers and duties as the council may confer or impose upon it by any regulations which may be made in this behalf.
Member Secretary and Employees of Council
8. (1) The Central Government shall appoint the Member-secretary of the Council to exercise such powers and perform such duties under the direction of the council as may be prescribed or as it deems necessary to him by the chairperson. (Member-Secretary and employees of council).
(2) The Council shall, with the previous sanction of the Central Government employee such officers and other employees, as it deems necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act.
(3) The Council shall, with the previous sanction of the Central Government, fix the allowances to be paid to the Chairperson and other members and determine the conditions of service of the Member-secretary, officers and other employees of the Council.
Vacancies in the Council not to invalidate date acts, etc
9. No act or proceeding of the Council or any committee thereof shall be called in question on the ground merely of the existence of any vacancy in or any defect in the constitution of the Council or a committee thereof as the case may be.(Vacancies in the Council not to invalidate acts etc).
Dissolution of Rehabilitation Council and transfer of right
10. (1) On and from the date of the constitution of the Council, the Rehabilitation Council shall stand dissolved and on such dissolution:
(2) All the rights and liabilities of the Rehabilitation Council shall be transferred to and be the rights and liabilities of the council
(3) Without prejudice to the provisions of clause (b) all liabilities incurred all contracts entered into and all matters and things engaged to be done by with or for the Rehabilitation Council immediately before that date for or in connection with the purposes of the said Rehabilitation Council shall be deemed to have been incurred entered into or engaged to be done by with or for the council.
(4) All sums of money due to the Rehabilitation Council immediately before that date shall be deemed to be due to the council.
(5) All suits and other legal proceedings instituted or which could have been instituted by or against the Rehabilitation council immediately before that date may be continued or may be instituted by or against the council; and
(6) Every employee holding any office under the Rehabilitation Council immediately before that date shall hold his office in the council by the same tenure and upon the same terms and conditions of service as respects remuneration, leave, provident fund, retirement and other terminal benefits as he would have held such office as if the council had not been constituted and shall continue to do so as an employee of the council or until the expiry of a period of six months from that date if such employee opts not to be the employee of the council within such period.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 or any other law for the time being in force, absorption of any employee by the council in its regular service under this section shall not entitle such employee to any compensation under that Act or other law and no such claim shall be entertained by any court, tribunal or other authority.
Explanation: In this section, 'Rehabilitation Council" means the Rehabilitation Council, a society formed and registered under the societies registration act, 1860 and functioning as such immediately before the constitution of the council.
CHAPTER THREE: FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
Recognition of qualifications granted by University etc., in India for Rehabilitation Professionals
11. (i) The qualifications granted by any University or other institution in India which are included in the schedule shall be recognised qualifications for rehabilitation professionals.
(ii) Any University or other institution which grants qualification for the rehabilitation professionals not included in the schedule may apply to the Central Government, after consulting the council may be notification, amend the schedule so as to include such qualification therein and any such notification may also direct that an entry shall be made in the last column of the schedule against such qualification only when granted after a specified date.
Recognition of qualification by Institutions outside India
12. The council may enter into negotiations with the authority in any country outside India for settling a scheme of reciprocity for the recognition of qualifications and in pursuance of any such scheme, the Central government may by notification amend the schedule so as to be recognised and by such notification may also direct than an entry shall be made in the last column of the schedule declaring that it shall be the recognised qualification only when granted after a specified date.
Rights of persons possessing qualifications included in the schedule to be enrolled
13. (1) Subject to the other provisions contained in this Act, any qualification included in the schedule shall be sufficient qualification for enrolment on the Register. (Rights of persons possessing qualifications included in the schedule to be enrolled).
(2) No person, other than the rehabilitation professional who possesses a recognised rehabilitation qualification and is enrolled on the Register:-
- shall hold office as rehabilitation professional or any such office (by whatever designation called) in Government or any institution maintained by a local or other authority.
- Shall practice as rehabilitation professional anywhere in India.
- Shall be entitled to sign or authenticate any certificate required by any law to be signed or authenticated by rehabilitation professional.
- Shall be entitled to giver any above evidence in
any court as an expert under section 45 of the Indian Evidence Act,
1872 on any matter relating to the disabled, provided that if a person
possesses the recognised rehabilitation professional qualifications
on the date of commencement of this Act, he shall be deemed to be an
enrolled rehabilitation professional for a period of six months from
such commencement and if he has made an application for enrolment on
the Register within said period of six months till such application
is disposed of.
(3) Any person who acts in contravention of any provision of sub-section (2) shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to one year or with fine, which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both.
Power to require information as to courses of study and examination
14. Every University or Institution in India, which grants recognized rehabilitation professional qualifications shall furnish such information as the council may from time to time require as to the courses of study and examinations to be undergone in order to obtain such qualification as to the ages at which such courses of study and examinations are required to be undergone and such qualification is conferred and generally as to the requisites for obtaining such qualification.,
15. (1) the council shall appoint such number of Inspectors as it may deem requisite to inspect any University or institution where education for practicing as rehabilitation professionals is given or to attend any examination held by any University or institution for the purpose of recommending to the Central Government recognition of qualifications granted by that University or institution as recognised rehabilitation qualification.
(2) The Inspectors appointed under sub-section (1) shall not interfere with the conduct of any training or examination but shall report to the Council on the adequacy of the standards of education including staff equipment accommodation training and other facilities prescribed for giving such education of the sufficiency of every examination, which they attend.
(3) The council shall forward a copy of the report of the inspector under sub-section (2) to the University or institution concerned and shall also forward a copy, with the remarks of the University or the Institution thereon, to the Central Government.
16. (1) The Council may appoint such number of visitors as it may deem requisite to inspect any University or institution wherein education for rehabilitation professionals is given or attend any examination for the purpose of granting recognised rehabilitation qualifications.
(2) Any person, whether he is a member of the council or not, may be appointed as a visitor under sub-section (1) but a person who is appointed as a Inspector under sub-section (1) of section 15 for any inspection or examination shall not be appointed as a visitor for the same inspection or examination.
(3) The Visitor shall not interfere with the conduct of any training or examination but shall report to the Chairperson on the adequacy of the standards of education including staff, equipment, accommodation, training and other facilities prescribed for giving education to the rehabilitation professionals or on sufficiency of every examination which they attend.
(4) The report of a Visitor shall be treated as confidential unless in any particular case the chairperson otherwise, directs:
Provided that if the central Government requires a copy of the report of a visitor, the council shall furnish the same.
17. (1) when upon report by the Inspector or the Visitor it appears to the council
- that the course of study and examination to be undergone in or the proficiency required from candidates at any examination held by any University or institution or
- that the staff equipment accommodation training
and other facilities for instruction and training provided in such University
or institution Do not conform to the standard prescribed by the Council;
the council shall make a representation to that effect to the Central
Government.
(2) After considering such representation the Central government may send it to the University or institution which an intimation of the period within which the university or institution may submits its explanation to the Government.
(3) On the receipt of the explanation or where no explanation is submitted within the period fixed then on the expiry of that period, the central Government after making such further inquiry if any, as it may think fit, may, by notification, direct that an entry shall be made in the schedule against the said recognised rehabilitation qualification only when granted before specified date for that the said recognised rehabilitation qualification if granted to students of a specified University or Institution shall be recognized rehabilitation qualification only when granted before a specified date or as the case may be that the said recognised rehabilitation qualification shall be recognition rehabilitation qualification relation to a specified University or institution only when granted after a specified date.
Minimum standards of education
18. The council may prescribe the minimum standards of education required for granting recognised rehabilitation qualification by Universities or institutions in India.
19. The Member-Secretary of the council may, on receipt of an application made by any person in the prescribed manner enter his name in the Register provided that the Member-Secretary is satisfied that such person possesses the recognized rehabilitation qualification.
Privileges of persons who are registered on Register
20. Subject to the conditions and restrictions laid down in this Act regarding engagement in the area of rehabilitation of the disabled by persons possessing the recognised rehabilitation qualifications, every persons whose name is for the time being borne on the Registrar shall be entitled to practice as a rehabilitation professional in any part of India and to recover in due course of law in respect of such practice any expenses , charges in respect of medicaments on other appliances or any fees to which he may be entitled.
Professional Conduct and removal of names from Register
21. (1) The council may prescribe standards of professional conduct and enquire and a code of ethics for rehabilitation professionals.
(2) Regulation made by the council under sub-section (1) any specify which violation thereof shall constitute infamous conduct in any professional respect, that is to say, professional misconduct., and such provision shall effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force.
(3) The council may order that the name of any person shall be removed from the Registrar where it is satisfied after giving the persons a reasonable opportunity of being heard and after such further inquiry, if any, as it may deem fit to make
(1) that his name has been entered in the Register by error or on account of misrepresentation or suppression of a material fact.
(2) That he has been convicted of any offence or has been guilty of any infamous conduct in any professional respect, or has violated /the standards of professional conduct and etiquette or the code ethics prescribed under sub-section (1) which, in the opinion of the council, renders him unfit to be kept in the Register.
(4) An order under sub-section (3) may direct that any person where same is ordered to be removed from the Register shall be intelligible for Registration under this Act either permanently or for such period of years or may be specified.
Appeal against Order of removal from Register
22. (1) Where the name of any person has been removed from the Register or any ground other than that he is not possessed of the requisite rehabilitation qualifications he may appeal, in the prescribed manner and subject to such conditions including such conditions as to the payment of a fee as may be prescribed to the Central Government whose decision thereon shall be final.
(2) No appeal under sub-section (1) shall be admitted if it is preferred after the expiry of a period of thirty days from the date of the order under subscription (3) of section 21:
Provided that an appeal may be admitted after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if the appellant satisfies the Central Government that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within the said period.
23. (1) It shall be the duty of the Member-secretary to keep and maintain the Register in accordance with the provisions of this Act and any order made by the council and from time to time to revise the Register and publish in the Official Gazette.
(2) The Register shall be deemed to be a public document within the meaning of the Indian evidence Act, 1872 and may be proved by a copy thereof.
Information to be furnished by council and publication thereof
24. (1) The council shall furnish such reports, copies of its minutes, abstracts of its accounts and other information to the central government as that government may require.
(2) The Central Government may publish in such manner as it may think fit, any report, copy, abstract or other information furnished to it by the Council under this section or under section 16.
25. Notwithstanding anything contained in the code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, no court shall take cognisance of an offence punishable under this Act except upon a complaint in writing made by any person authorised in this behalf by the council.
Protection of action taken in good faith
26. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Central government, chairperson, members, member-secretary or any officer or other employee of the council for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act.
Employees of Council to be public servants
27. The Chairperson, members, member-secretary, officers and other employees of the council shall, while acting or purporting to act in pursuance of the provisions of this Act or of any rule and regulation made there under, be deemed to be public servants within the maintain of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
28. The Central Government may, by notification make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act.
29. The Council may, with previous sanction of the central Government, make by notification, regulations centrally to carry out the purposes of this Act and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such regulations may provide for-
- the management of the property of the council;
- the maintenance and audit of the accounts of the council;
- the registration of members of the council;
- the powers and duties of the Chairperson;
- the rules of procedure in the transaction of business under subsection (3) of section (4);
- the function of the Executive Committee and other Committees, constituted under section 7;
- the powers and duties of the Member-secretary under sub-section (1) of section 8;
- the qualifications, appointment, powers and duties of and procedure to be followed by Inspectors and visitors.
- The courses and period of study or of training, to be undertaken, the subject of examination and standards of proficiency therein to be obtained in any university or any institution for grant of recognised rehabilitation qualification;
- The standard of staff, equipment, accommodation, training and other facilities for study or training of the rehabilitation professionals;
- The conduct of examinations, qualifications of examiners,
and the condition
of the admission to such examinations; - The standards of professional conduct and etiquette and code of ethics to be observed by rehabilitation professionals under sub-section (1) of section 21;
- The particulars to be stated, and proof of qualifications to be given, in application for registration under this Act;
- The manner in which and the conditions subject to which an appeal may be preferred under sub-section (1) of section 22;
- The fees to be paid on applications and appeals under this Act;
- Any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed.
Laying of rules and regulations before Parliament
30. Every rule and every regulation made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is an session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or regulation, or both Houses agree that the rule or regulation should not be made , the rule or regulation shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be so however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or regulation.
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