3. Constitution and incorporation of Rehabilitation Council of India.—(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.
(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:—
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[(a) a Chairperson, from amongst the persons having experience in administration with
professional qualification in the field of rehabilitation, disabilities, and special education, to be
appointed by the Central Government;
(b) such number of members not exceeding seven, as may be nominated by the Central
Government, to represent the Ministries of the Central Government dealing with matters relating to
persons with disabilities;]
(c) one member to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the University Grants
Commission;
(d) one member to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the Directorate General
of Indian Council of Medical Research;
(e) two members to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the Ministry or
department of the States or the Union territories dealing with Social Welfare by rotation in
alphabetical order;
(f) such number of members not exceeding six as may be appointed by the Central Government
from amongst the rehabilitation professionals working in voluntary organisations;
(g) 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
(102 of 1956) and engaged in rehabilitation of the handicapped;
(h) three Members of Parliament of whom two shall be elected by the House of the People and
one by the Council of States;
1. Clause (o) omitted by Act 38 of 2000, s. 3 (w.e.f. 4-9-2000).
2. Ins. by s. 3, ibid. (w.e.f. 4-9-2000).
3. Subs. by s. 4, ibid., for clauses (a) and (b) (w.e.f. 4-9-2000).
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(i) 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;
(j) the Member-Secretary, ex officio.
(4) The office of member of the Board shall not disqualify its holder for being chosen as, or for being,
a Member of either House of Parliament.
4. Term of office of Chairperson and members.—(1) 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. Disqualifications.—No person shall be a member if he—
(a) is, or becomes, of unsound mind or is so declared by a competent court; or
(b) is, or has been, convicted of any offence which, in the opinion of the Central Government,
involves moral turpitude; or
(c) is, or at any time has been, adjudicated as insolvent.
6. Vacation of office by members.—If a member—
(a) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in section 5; or
(b) is absent without excuse, sufficient in the opinion of the Council, from three consecutive
meetings of the Council; or
(c) 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.
7. Executive Committee and other committees.—(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.
(2) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson who shall be member ex officio and not
less then 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.
8. Member-Secretary and employees of Council.—(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 may be delegated to him by the Chairperson.
(2) The Council shall, with the previous sanction of the Central Government, employ such officers
and other employees as it deems necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act.
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(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.
9. Vacancies in the Council not to invalidate acts, etc.—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.
10. Dissolution of Rehabilitation Council and transfer of rights, liabilities and employees of
Rehabilitation Council to Council.—(1) On and from the date of the constitution of the Council, the
Rehabilitation Council shall stand dissolved and on such dissolution,—
(a) all properties and assets, movable and immovable, of, or belonging to, the Rehabilitation
Council shall vest in the Council;
(b) all the rights and liabilities of the Rehabilitation Council shall be transferred to, and be the
rights and liabilities of, the Council;
(c) 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;
(d) all sums of money due to the Rehabilitation Council immediately before that date shall be
deemed to be due to the Council;
(e) 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
(f) 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 (14 of 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 (21 of 1860) and functioning as such
immediately before the constitution of the Council.