Norms and Regulations for B.Ed.

Special
Education offered through Open and
Distance Learning (ODL)

December, 2021

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All activities are completed successfully when all the participating members work together
collectively as a single unit. The Norms and Regulations for B.Ed. Special Education offered
through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode presented here in this document, is an
outcome of a collective efforts of a number of experts who worked tirelessly to complete
this work. As Convener of a Sub-Committee constituted by the Rehabilitation Council of
India (RCI), it becomes my pious duty to
acknowledge them individually.
I am very much grateful to Dr. Jayanthi Narayan, Former Deputy Director National Institute
for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad, and
Visiting Professor at University of Northampton, UK, for her timely support and help.
Similarly, I am indeed thankful to Prof Amitav Mishra, School of Education Indira Gandhi
National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, for his tireless help and support. I take this
opportunity to express my thanks to Prof. Sujata Bhan, Head, Dept of Special Education,
SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai for her contribution. I would also like to express my
gratitude to Dr. Varsha Gathoo, Reader and Head, Department of Education, Ali Yaver Jung
National Institute for Speech and Hearing Disability (AYJNISHD) for her cooperation and
guidance. I thank Dr. Sharmishtha C. Oak, Coordinator, B.ED.Spl.Ed, (ODL), Centre For
Disability Studies, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik for her
constant support.
I will be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge the support of Dr. Subodh Kumar,
Member Secretary RCI and his colleagues Dr. Sandeep Tambe, Asst. Director and
Shri Sandeep Thakur, Assistant Controller of Examinations who nominated me as the
convener of the Sub-Committee and for their timely response to all inquiries.

(s/d)
S. R. Mittal
Professor (Retd), Faculty of Education,
Delhi University,
New Delhi.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 Contents
S.No. Clause Page No.
1 Preamble 1
2 Short Title and Commencement 2
3 Nomenclature 2
4 Definitions 2
5 Eligibility of University, Territorial Jurisdiction, Faculty & 4
Facilities
6 Intake, Eligibility, Admission Procedure and Fees 7
7 Curriculum, Programme Implementation & Examination 9
8 Student Support and Monitoring 14
9 Monitoring activities 14
10 Internal and External Examination 15
11 Eligibility of Study Centre and Facilities 17
12 Application Procedure for Grant of Recognition to University 19
13 Application Procedure for Grant of Approval to Study Centre 20
14 Functions of the University and Study Centre 21
15 De-recognition of the University 21
16 Closing of Study Centre by University/ RCI 22
17 ODL Support, Monitoring and Research Cell at RCI 22
18 Annexure 1 23
19 Annexure 2 24
20 Annexure 3 25

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 REHABILITATION COUNCIL OF INDIA
Norms and Regulations for Bachelor in Education -Special Education offered
through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Mode

1. Preamble

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) with a mandate for preparing competent
human resource for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities is committed to
achieve quality by way of maintaining up to date and high standards of its training
programmes. With an aim to meet the national requirements of the trained human
resource for education of children and youth with disabilities in varying educational
set-ups, RCI has been regulating teacher training programs in face to face (regular)
mode since its inception and open distance learning (ODL) mode since 2001. RCI
recognizes the Distance Education programs which are currently on offer in the
training of teachers in special education through ODL mode by several universities.
RCI is committed to the quality education of the students with disabilities, by way of
ensuring the quality of special teacher education programmes delivered through
both the modes.

Over the years, several programmes of RCI have been revised and/or under process
of revision in the light of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) and the
National Education Policy (2020). The revision is made to ensure an inclusive and
equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by
2030 as per Goal 4 of UN-Sustainable Development. By considering the UGC (Open
and Distance learning and Online Learning) Regulation 2017 and the aforesaid acts
and policies, the norms and regulations with respect to recognition of special
education program through ODL mode of RCI of 2015 is henceforth revised. Besides
the RCI’s norms and regulations with respect to recognition of special education
program through ODL mode, the UGC (Open and Distance learning and Online
Learning) Regulation 2017 and all amendments thereafter and of future to it shall be
fully applicable in such universities and institutions that conduct special education
programmes recognized by RCI.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

2. Short Title and Commencement

(a) This programme may be called as Norms and Regulations for Bachelor in
Education -Special Education offered through Open and Distance (ODL) Mode

(b) It becomes operational with the approval by the “General Council” of

Rehabilitation Council of India.

3. Nomenclature

Nomenclature of the Programme shall be ‘Bachelor in Education - Special

Education’. The nomenclature for disability specific programme will be Bachelor
in Education - Special Education (Name of Specialization in Disability) such as
Bachelor in Education - Special Education(Visual Impairment (VI) or Hearing
Impairment (HI) or Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) or Multiple
Disability (MD)as per the specific or group of disabilities.

4. Definitions

In these Norms and regulations unless the context otherwise requires -

(a) “Academic Session” means duration of twelve months beginning either in

January or in July or both (in case offered in both cycles), as the case may be, of
every calendar year;

(b) “Credit” means the Unit award gained by a learner with study efforts of
minimum number of hours required to acquire the prescribed level of learning in
respect of that Unit;

(c) “E-Learning Material” means and includes contents in the form of structured
course material, as a part of one or more courses in the Online programme, in
digital format delivered through Learning Management System, which is inter
alia self-explanatory, self-contained, self-directed at the learner and amenable to
self- evaluation, and enables the learner to acquire the prescribed level of
learning in a course of study, but does not include text-books or guide-books; as
defined in these regulations;
(d) “Printed Material” means a lesson/unit of a course written in any language which
a learner is required to study.

(e) “Examination Centre” means a place where examinations are conducted, inter
alia, for assessment of the learners’ pursuing programs under Open and Distance
Learning mode and Online mode and is having the requisite infrastructure

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 relevant to respective mode of education including adequate human resources
for smooth conduct of examinations and adhering to such minimum standards as
specified in these regulations;

(f) “Higher Educational Institution (HEI)” means a university covered under clause (f)
of section 2 and an institution deemed to be a university covered under section 3
of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, which is imparting by means of
conducting regular classes or through Open and Distance Learning systems,
higher education or research therein;

(g) “ICT” means Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), is a broader

term for Information Technology (IT), which refers to all communication
technologies, including the internet, wireless networks, cell phones, computers,
software, middleware, video-conferencing, social networking, and other media
applications and services;

(h) “Learning Management System” means a system to keep track of delivery of e-

Learning Programmes, learner’s engagement, assessment, results, reporting and
other related details in one centralised location;

(i) “Learner Support Centre/Study Centre” means a centre established, maintained

or recognised by the Higher Educational Institution for advising, counselling,
providing interface between the teachers and the learners, and rendering any
academic and any other related service and assistance required by the learners;

(j) “Open and Distance Learning Mode” means a mode of providing flexible learning
opportunities by overcoming separation of teacher and learner using a variety of
media, including print, electronic, online and occasional interactive face-to-face
meetings with the learners or Learner Support Services to deliver teaching-
learning experiences, including practical or work experiences;

(k) “Prospectus” means any publication, whether in print or e-form, issued for
providing fair and transparent information, relating to a Higher Educational
Institution and it programmes, to the general public (including to those seeking
admission in such Higher Educational Institution) by the management of such
Higher Educational Institution or any authority or person authorised by such
Higher Educational Institution to do so;

(l) “Self-Learning e-Module” for Online mode means a modular unit of course
material in e-learning form which is inter alia self-explanatory, self- contained,
self-directed at the learner, and amenable to self-evaluation, and enables the

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 learner to acquire the prescribed level of learning in a course of study and
includes contents in the form of a combination of the following e-Learning
content, namely:-(i) e-Text Materials;(ii) Video Lectures;(iii) Audio-Visual-tactile
interactive material;(iv) Virtual Classroom sessions;(v) Audio Pod casts;(vi) Virtual
Simulation; and(vii) Self-Assessment Quizzes or Tests;

(m) “Self-Learning Material” for Open and Distance Learning mode means and
includes contents in the form of course material, whether print or in e- form,
which is interalia self-explanatory, self-contained, self-directed at the learner,
and amenable to self-evaluation, and enables the learner to acquire the
prescribed level of learning in a course of study, but does not include text-books
or guide-books;

(n) “Recognition Process” means the process which begins with the preparation of
application to be submitted to the regulatory authority and completes when the
recognition is granted.

5. Eligibility of HEI/University, Territorial Jurisdiction, Faculty & Facilities

(a) Eligibility of HEI/University

University covered under clause (f) of section 2 which is imparting by means of

conducting regular classes or through Open and Distance Learning systems, higher
education or research therein shall be eligible for conducting B. Ed Special Education
Programme. An institution deemed to be a university covered under section 3 of the
University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and Agriculture or similar university
established for specific discipline other than teacher education shall not be eligible to
run B. Ed Special Education Programme.

(b) Territorial Jurisdiction

a) A Central or State Government University can conduct B.Ed. Special Education
Programme through its own departments, its constituent colleges or through its
affiliated Colleges.
b) A university established or incorporated by or under a State Act shall operate only
within the territorial jurisdiction allotted to it under its Act and in no case beyond the
territory of the state of its location.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 c) The private universities and deemed universities cannot affiliate any college or
institution for conducting courses leading to award of its diplomas, degrees or other
qualifications.
d) No university, whether central, state, private or deemed, can offer B.Ed. Special
Education Programme through franchising arrangement with private coaching
institutions even for the purpose of conducting courses through distance mode.
e) All universities shall award only such degrees as are specified by the University Grants
Commission and published in the Official Gazette.
f) The University shall conduct their first degree and Master’s degree programmes in
accordance with the regulations notified by the Commission in this regard.
Regulating provisions as per University Grants Commission Regulations on Private
Universities, Deemed University, Distance Education Programme of Central and State
Universities shall be as given below:
a) A Private university established under a State Act shall be a unitary University. A private
university may be permitted to open off campus centres, off shore campuses and study
centres after five years of its coming into existence subject to the fulfilment of
conditions as laid down under University Grants Commission (Establishment of &
Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations, 2003. As of now, the
University Grants Commission has not granted permission to any Private University to
establish off-campus or study centre.
b) A Deemed University shall operate only within its Headquarters or from those off
campuses or off-shore campuses which are approved by the Government of India
through notification published in the Official Gazette. In case of distance education
programmes, no institution deemed to be university, so declared by the Government of
India after 26th May, 2010 [date of publication of University Grants Commission
(Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2010] is allowed to conduct
courses in the distance mode. The institutions deemed to be universities declared
before 26th May, 2010 are not allowed to conduct courses in distance mode from any of
its off-campus centres or off-shore campuses approved after 26th May, 2010. Approval
for new courses and extension of approval of the courses already run by the Deemed to
be Universities under distance mode would be granted by the University Grants
Commission subject to the fulfilment of conditions as laid down by the University Grants
Commission. The University Grants Commission has not granted approval to any
deemed to be university to establish study centres.
c) The Central or State Government Universities can conduct courses through distance
mode in accordance with the provisions of their respective Act and after the approval of
the University Grants Commission.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

NAAC Accreditation
The Higher Educational Institution that has valid accreditation from National Assessment
and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and has completed five years of existence: Provided that
this clause shall not be applicable to Open Universities till the time they become eligible for
National Assessment and Accreditation Council accreditation and it shall be mandatory for
Open Universities to get National Assessment and Accreditation Council accreditation within
one year of their becoming eligible for the same: Provided further that an institution
Deemed to be a University so declared by the Central Government shall offer the Open and
Distance Learning courses or programmes as per the extant Deemed to be a University
Regulations and also notified by the University Grants Commission from time to time in the
matter.

Faculty

a) The University should have minimum exclusive three core full time dedicated faculty from
Special Education (disability specific specialization) comprising one Professor (Head of
School/Centre/Department of Special Education) and two Associate/Assistant Professors.
Each disability area needs to be represented by at least one faculty member having
specialization in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Visual Impairment (VI),
Hearing Impairment (HI) or Multiple Disability MD. For each additional sanction of 500 seats,
one faculty shall be additionally required.
b) Provided that in case of both B.Ed Special Education and M.Ed. Special Education
programmes are run , instead of minimum 6 faculty members, minimum 5 faculty members
shall be required.
c) The qualifications, experience and number of faculty shall be as per RCI Norms from time
to time. In addition, the faculty/staff with qualifications/experience in ODL will be preferred.
d) At any circumstance, B. Ed Special Education Programme shall not be initiated if the
faculty requirement is not fulfilled.

Non-teaching staff

The University should have one Office Manager /superintendent; one Software professional,
one In Charge of Assessment and evaluation (Examination), Computer operator for data
base maintenance, one Office assistant and one Helper. The additional staff may be
considered by the University as per need.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

b) Facilities:
i. Physical Infrastructure:
Total Built-up area for Open and Distance Learning activity - Minimum 15000 sq. ft.
(carpet area):
Built-up Area Type Percentage (%) Built-up Area (Carpet Area, in sq. ft.)
Academic 50 per cent. 7500
Administrative 10 per cent. 1500
Academic support such as Library, Reading room, Computer Centre, Information and
Communication technology, Labs, Video and Audio Labs.
30 per cent. 4500
Amenities or other support facilities
10 per cent. 1500

Total 15000
Note: Built up area for toilets shall be separate. Toilets should be barrier free and
accessible. Accessibility and barrier free environment as per RPWD act must be
followed.
i. Library
Library should be well equipped with adequate number of the essential and
recommended books and journals for the respective course as prescribed in the
course syllabus approved by RCI. Latest publications in each discipline offered in the
course must be added regularly to update the library. In addition, self- learning
material should be available in adequate numbers.

Access to computers and online search facilities must be accessible to the students
who use the library. Reading room must be barrier free and accessible with regard to
physical infrastructure as well as audio, video material, hardware peripherals, text to
speech and other support systems.

6. Intake, Eligibility, Admission Procedure and Fees

(a) Intake
i. The maximum intake for the Bachelor in Special Education programme per
academic session/cycle shall be maximum 3000 for national open university with
all India jurisdiction and 1000 for all other open universities subject to the
condition that one Study Centre shall not enrol more than 50 and less than 25
students in a given session. However, the request for additional unit(s) shall be
examined by the RCI on the basis of the availability of required facilities in

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 respect of study centres and geographical conditions and requirement of the
respective state. Reservation policy shall be applicable as per central and state
government rules.
(b) Eligibility

i. Candidate with RCI recognized D.Ed. in Special Education or Equivalent through

regular mode and has at least fifty percent marks either in the Bachelor’s
Degree and/or in the Master’s degree in Sciences/ Social Sciences/ Humanities
or Bachelor’s in Engineering or Technology with specialization in Science and
Mathematics with 55% marks or any other qualification equivalent thereto, is
eligible for admission to the programme;

ii. In case a candidate who does not possess any RCI recognized D.Ed. in Special
education or Equivalent through regular mode, if she/he has at least fifty
percent marks either in the Bachelor’s Degree and/or in the Master’s degree in
Sciences/ Social Sciences/ Humanities or Bachelor’s in Engineering or
Technology with specialization in Science and Mathematics with 55% marks or
any other qualification equivalent thereto, is eligible for admission to the
programme;

iii. Foreign students through overseas study centres shall be eligible if the
University has a dedicated division such as International Students Division and
the foreign student has to fulfil the admission criteria as in 6(b- i or ii). The
university needs to take prior approval from RCI to ensure the quality if such
study centre is planned to be established out of country;

(v) The reservation and relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PWD and other categories shall
be as per the rules of the Central Government/ State Government/UT
whichever is applicable;

(vi) Weightage may be given (not more than 10%) to the candidate who is a parent
of a child with disability (having a Disability Certificate of the child issued by the
Competent Authority).

(c) Admission Procedure

i. With due prior intimation to the RCI, recognized University shall develop a suitable
procedure for the selection of candidates for admission to Bachelor in Special
Education programme through ODL mode. Based on the eligibility criteria of RCI,
the University norm for entrance test and /or interview has to be followed.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

(d) Fee Structure

i. The respective university will decide the fee structure from time to time with due
intimation to RCI. No institute shall charge any donation / capitation fee from the
learners.

(e) Duration

i. The duration of the programme would be 04 semesters (2 years)for those learners

under category 6. (b) I i.e. having completed RCI recognized Diploma in Special
Education or Equivalent through regular mode. Learners admitted under this
category shall be permitted to complete the program within a maximum period of
four years.

ii. The duration of the programme would be 05 semesters (2½ years) for the learners
who fall under the category 6. (b) ii i.e. not having completed RCI recognized
Diploma in Special Education or Equivalent through regular mode. Learners
admitted under this category shall complete an additional school placement
program or internship of six months duration which shall be considered as the
fifth semester.

iii. There shall be a compulsory school placement program of at least 200 hours per
each semester till the end of fourth semester as per the curriculum for all
categories of students.

(f) Registration as Professionals

i. RCI Certification is compulsory to work as a teacher in the field of Special

Education. Hence, the successful candidates of the B.Ed. Spl. Ed. (Disability
Specialization) programme should obtain a "Registered Professional Certificate"
from the Rehabilitation Council of India to work as a teacher in the field of special
education u/s 13 of (3) of RCI Act-1992.

7. Curriculum, Programme Implementation & Examination

(a) Curriculum

i. The curriculum offered through regular mode shall be transformed into distance
mode consisting of Block/Units as per credit hours of study;
ii. The Council shall prepare the curriculum by following the blended approach with
adequate face to face component in both theory and practical components (at
least 10% of the credit hours of theory courses for academic counseling and

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 similarly at least 10% of the credit hours of practicum and school-based activities
for demonstration sessions and workshop-based activities);

iii. However, the concerned university may make minor modifications as

appropriate in the curriculum framework without reducing the contents as
prescribed by the Council in the curriculum.

(b) Programme Implementation

i. The universities/institutions shall follow a well-planned system of structured

activities for the programme implementation so as to prepare special education
teachers who would be able to assess themselves on regular basis and improve their
professional practice as teachers.

ii. The students-teachers will also be familiarized with how children with disabilities
learn so that they can develop and use teaching strategies that are responsive to the
learning needs across various settings including special classrooms, home based
training and inclusive classrooms where they can teach all the learners including
those with diverse learning needs resulting from various disabilities.

iii. The programme shall be developed in a blended mode by judiciously mixing the
components of resource-based self-learning, face-to-face counseling and workshops
and technology-enabled interaction and learning.

iv. The University shall develop and provide academic calendar (see annexure I.) to the
student-teachers, study centers as well as to the Council (RCI) for continuous
monitoring of the quality of the programme. All such details including list/link of
resources, list of learners, academic counselors, practical supervisors and mentors
should be available on the websites of the University as well as the Study Centers.
The University shall develop the Self Learning Materials (SLMs), Audio-video based
eSLM(s), and Practical Manuals before launching the programme.

(c) Self-Learning Materials (SLMs)

A Higher Educational Institution offering programme in Open and Distance Learning

mode shall, in order to facilitate the pace of learning and multiple choice for learners,
prepare Self Learning Material taking into consideration the following, namely: —
i. Self-Learning Material has clearly stated objectives, intended learning outcomes,
study guidance and advice for the learners as to how to optimally use the material
and suggestive of related reference material to enhance the learning experience,

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 and linkage within the text with other media (for digital SLM) is maintained for easy
referencing and progress;
ii. Self-Learning Material developed and offered is self-explanatory, self-contained,
illustrative, easily comprehensible, and in manageable modules such as units and
blocks;
iii. Self-Learning Material provides adequate mechanism for the learners to provide
feedback on their understanding of the subject;
iv. Self-Learning material is revised periodically from the perspective of improving
quality and learner support;
v. Guidelines on preparation of Self-Learning material shall be as per Annexure VIII of
UGC ODL Regulations 2017;
vi. Before the launch of the Programme by the University, it shall develop SLMs for
theory as well as practical courses. The study materials shall be made available to
the learners in the beginning of the session itself.
vii. The University shall get the SLMs duly approved as per the norms and procedure
decided by RCI from time to time. In case need arises, the Council may facilitate
development of good quality SLMs through National Open University/National
Institutions for the entire country. The same material may be translated into
different regional languages as per the need.

(d) Audio-Video Based SLMs

i. The University/ Institution shall develop curriculum-based audio-video resources on

its own or adapt such resources from other or Open Education Resources (OERs) and
make those AV/resources available at HQ and Study Centres as well as on the
website or any online platforms which is easily accessible by any student-teacher.

ii. Teleconferencing facilities wherever available such as State Resource Centres, State
Governments and open Universities may also be utilised.

(e) Online Course(s)

i. The University/ Institution shall make effort to develop/transform any selected

course(s) into online programme. The University/Institution may use SWAYAM
Platform for this purpose.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 (f) Face to Face Components

i. The face to face or personal contact programme shall cover academic counselling,
school-based activities, workshop-based activities, teaching practices, seminar,
presentations, report writing etc.,

ii. Academic counselling, workshop-based activities, seminar, presentations must be

conducted at the headquarters and/or Study Centres convenient to the learners as
per the curriculum; and
iii. The rest of the activities should be organized in a recognized inclusive or special
school as per the mutual convenience of the learner and the study centre.

(g) Academic Counselling:

i. Academic counselling session shall be provided by the qualified academic counsellors

who are specially oriented or trained for ODL by the University.

ii. The academic counselling shall be spread over the entire duration of the programme
and be conducted on a regular basis depending on the need and convenience of the
learners.

iii. The academic and personal problems related to the course shall be discussed in the
counselling sessions.

iv. The counselling session shall be utilized for providing personalised guidance to the
learners regarding content difficulty, fieldworks, teaching practice, projects
assignments, dissertation, time management and study skills.

v. Academic counselling sessions shall be conducted for about 10% of the total credit
hours.

(h) Workshop Based Activities (WBA)

i. As per the curriculum, the selected components/skills of theory and practicum

courses that need hands on training, demonstration or group discussions with
subject experts; such components shall be covered through workshop-based
activities at the Study Centre/University levels.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

ii. The duration and structure of the workshop-based activities shall be mentioned in
detail in the curriculum.

iii. The student-teacher shall be provided manual(s) which would help her/him to
prepare for the workshop as well as shall help on what to do during and after the
workshop. The WBA Manual(s) shall be provided to the learners at the beginning of
the course/programme.

(i) School Based Activities (SBA):

i. The learners shall be involved in activities which a teacher is supposed to perform in

the school. Through the school-based activities as per the curriculum, the student-
teacher shall perform the activities under supervision of a faculty member(s),
(teacher educator(s) of the Study Centre or any teacher educator(s) outside the
Study Centre being engaged by the Study Centre) and also under mentorship of an
experienced qualified special education teacher(s) (senior experienced special
education teacher or principal).

ii. A learner shall be supervised for at least 25% of the total credit hours and shall be
guided by the mentor for rest of the practical credit hours.

iii. The student-teacher shall be provided manual(s) which would help her/him to
prepare for the school-based activities as well as shall help on what to do during
SBA. The SBA Manual(s) shall be provided to the learners at the beginning of the
course/programme. Audio-video resources shall be integrated into the manual for
the better understanding of the student-teacher.

(j) Teaching practice:

i. The teaching practice is the main component of the school-based activities. The
student-teacher shall be provided constructive feedback on his/ her performance
(strength and weakness) by the supervisor/ mentor. Thus, the learners shall discuss
with supervisor/mentor the preparation of the lesson plans, delivery of lesson and
feedback on the lessons delivered.
ii. Each learner shall receive personal supervision and feedback on his/her teaching
practice.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

iii. A student-teacher shall be supervised for at least 25% of the total credit hours of
practice teaching by the teacher educator or a faculty of the study centre and the
rest lessons shall be guided by the mentor(s).

iv. The student-teacher shall be provided manual(s) which would help her/him to
prepare for the practice teaching activities. The manual(s) shall be provided to the
learners at the beginning of the course/programme.

8. Student Support and Monitoring

i. Student support services shall be provided at the university as well as study centre
level. The student support shall be varied in nature which may range from providing
information to counselling and guidance for personal problems. The facility may
range from toll free helpline number, designated faculty/staff at HQ and study
centre to provide student support services.

ii. Monitoring is the key to the quality of programme implementation and student
progression. The monitoring shall be done at two levels: by the Council (RCI) and by
the University.

9. Monitoring activities

(a) By RCI

i. The council shall appoint expert committee(s) which will review the programme
implementation by the universities/institutions.

ii. Each university from time to time shall furnish the detail reports in respect of year-
wise, programme-wise enrolment status of learners, faculty details, academic
calendar, feedback reports of study centres, learners and any other information as
may be required by the Council to enable it to assess the academic standards of
programmes being offered.

iii. The Council shall review the administrative and financial aspects of the universities
with reference to programme implementation if required. The Council through its
expert groups may undertake planned/surprise visits to the universities and study
centres at least once in every year to review the quality of programme implantation.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 (b) By the University

i. The University shall constitute an ‘Advisory Committee’ that shall meet regularly, at
least once in a year, to manage the academic and administrative matters related to
the programme implementation at the levels of University and study centres.

ii. The faculty related to the programme shall undertake orientation of the academic
counsellors, practical supervisors and mentors on regular basis. The faculty shall visit
the study centres during the workshops to monitor the quality and provide academic
support.

iii. Random visits during the school-based activities and practice teaching may be
carried out to ensure the learner’s participation in the practicum courses.
iv. The university should facilitate regular feedback from the learners through online
and/or offline means and take necessary actions to improve the academic quality.

10. Evaluation and Certification

a) The Higher Educational Institution shall adopt the guidelines issued by the Council/
Commission from time to time in regard to the conduct of examinations.
b) There shall be home assignments, students’ response sheets, contact programmes
and semester or year-end examination, and the marks or grades obtained in home
assignment and response sheets shall be shown separately in the grade card.
c) A Higher Educational Institution offering Open and Distance Learning Programmes
shall have a mechanism well in place for evaluation of learners enrolled through
Open and Distance Learning mode and their certification.
d) A Higher Educational Institution offering a Programme in Open and Distance
Learning mode shall adopt a rigorous process in development of question papers,
question banks, assignments and their moderation, conduct of examination,
evaluation of answer scripts by qualified teachers, and result declaration, and shall
so frame the question papers as to ensure that no part of the syllabus is left out of
study by a learner.
e) The examination of the programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode shall be
managed by the examination or evaluation Unit of the Higher Educational Institution
and shall be conducted in the examination centre approved by the Higher
Educational Institution.
f) The evaluation shall include two types of assessments 1. continuous or formative
assessment in the form of assignments, and 2. summative assessment in the form of
end semester examination or term end examination: Provided that no semester or
year-end examination shall be held in a subject unless the Higher Educational

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 Institution is satisfied that at least 75% of the programme of study stipulated for the
semester or year have been actually conducted: Provided further that the weightage
for “Term End Examination” shall not be less than 70%.
g) The ‘Examination Centre’ shall be established within the territorial jurisdiction of the
Higher Educational Institutions, subject to
(i) The Examination Centre shall be located in Government schools such as
Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sainik school and including approved
affiliated colleges under the University system in the country and no Examination
Centres shall be allotted to any private organisations or unapproved Higher
Educational Institutions.
(ii) The Examination Centre shall have proper monitoring mechanisms for Closed-
Circuit Television (CCTV) recording of the entire examination procedure and
biometric system and in case of non-availability of the Closed-Circuit Television
facilities, the Higher Educational Institution shall ensure that proper video graphy be
conducted and video recordings are submitted by particular in charge of
examination centre to the concerned Higher Educational Institution.
(iii) The Higher Educational Institution shall retain all such Closed-Circuit Television
recordings in archives for a minimum period of ten years.
(iv) The attendance of examinees shall be authenticated through biometric system
as per Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) records or Unique
Identification Number (UIN), issued by the University.
(v) There shall be an observer for each of the Examination Centre appointed by the
Higher Educational Institution and it shall be mandatory to have observer report
submitted to the Higher Educational Institution.
h) The Learner Support Centres, within the territorial jurisdiction, may also be used as
examination centres provided, they fulfil the criteria of an examination centre and it
shall be mandatory for the Higher Educational Institution to mention the name and
place of ‘Learner Support Centre’ and of ‘Examination Centre’ on all the certificates
or mark sheets issued to the students.
i) The Higher Educational Institution shall make a mention in the mark sheet and
degree about the mode of delivery i.e., Open and Distance Learning and the
photograph and the Unique Identification or Aadhaar number of the learner shall be
mandatorily mentioned in all the documents issued by the Higher Educational
Institution to the learner.
j) It shall be mandatory for the Higher Educational Institution to mention ‘Date of
Admission’ and ‘Date of Completion’ on each of the certificates (in semester or end
of the semester or end of the programme or course) issued by it.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 11. Eligibility of Study Centre and Facilities

The University shall make adequate provisions for Study Centres approved by the
Council within its jurisdiction having adequate student support facilities, including
Academic Staff, Coordinator, and Counsellors/Tutors as per the norms.

(a) Eligibility Criteria

i. Those institutions subject to criteria as laid down below (under 11. a. ii) shall be
considered to function as Learner Support Centre/ Study Centres if are recognised by
RCI and conducting B.Ed. (Special Education) programmes in regular mode and
having adequate infrastructural and faculty as per RCI norms;

ii. Institutions which are offering RCI’s B.Ed. programme for at least 5 years on regular
mode and have at least one-time permanent recognition (5 years) to offer the
course. In case of hilly terrains such as north eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir as
well Ladakh UTs, RCI may give relaxation in its norms.

iii. The centres that conduct B.Ed. in special education will be eligible to become the
study centre only in the respective disability specialization area(s);

iv. Institutions declared as study centre for one course shall not be a study centre for
any other course or the same course by any other university /institution.

(b) Staff

i. Teacher educators, supervisors and academic counsellors engaged in supporting the

students and in other various activities of the study centre must be qualified as per the
prescribed norms of RCI;

ii. All the functionaries associated with the study centre and working in the study centre
must be aware of the system and function related to ODL and must have an
enrichment programme atleast once a year by the university.

(c) Barrier Free Environment

i. The study centre shall be totality barrier free as per the norms and should be
accessible to all students in all respects.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

(d)Staff in the study Centre

i. Each study centre shall have one Coordinator, one Assistant coordinator, Part time
academic counsellors as per the curricular need and administrative staff as per need;

ii. The staff of the study centre (part time) can be engaged from the faculty of the host
institution or present/former teacher educators from other institutions;

iii. At least one academic counsellor must be appointed for each of the courses
prescribed for the programme.

(e) Facilities in Study Centre

i. The study centre must have well equipped resource room with the required teaching
learning material for the respective B.Ed. Special Education (Disability
Specializations) programme as prescribed in the syllabus, access to computer and
other ICT and online resources, library, conference room with audio visual facilities,
assessment tools, psychology lab and other requirement as per the course norms;

ii. There should be adequate room for individual and group counselling sessions and
facility for class demonstrations to the student trainees;

iii. Exclusive two class rooms for the student trainees are essential.

(f) Library

i. Library should be well equipped with adequate number of the essential and
recommended books and journals for the respective course as prescribed in the
course syllabus;

ii. Latest publications in each discipline offered in the course must be added regularly
to up- date the library. In addition, self- instructional material should be available in
adequate numbers;

iii. Access to computers and online search facilities must be accessible to the students
who use the library;

iv. Reading room must be barrier free and accessible with regard to physical
infrastructure as well as audio, video material, hardware peripherals, text to speech
and other support systems.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 12. Application Procedure for Grant of Recognition to University

i. The university seeking recognition from the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) to
offer Bachelor in Education - Special Education Programmes through ODL modes
shall follow a procedure as laid down below (12 ii to vii)

ii. The National/Central/State Open University recognized by UGC wishing to offer

Bachelor in Special Education Programme shall apply to Rehabilitation Council of
India for seeking recognition to offer the said programme through Open and
Distance Learning (ODL) mode on a prescribed application form, (Annexure II);
subject to fulfilling all conditions: (i) having NAAC Accreditation; (ii) having
Centre/Committee for internal quality assurance; (iii) grievance redressal
mechanism in place; (iv) University must have an Equal Opportunity Cell/Resource
Centre for students with disabilities with all required disabilities specific equipment
and facilities.

iii. Rehabilitation Council of India, on the receipt of a request from the applicant
university to offer the courses, will scrutinize the application within four weeks from
the date of its receipt.

iv. And, if the application is complete in all respect, RCI will constitute a visiting team for
assessment of the applicant University to ascertain the adequacy of infrastructure
and other information provided by the concerned university in its application.

v. The inspection team so constituted by the RCI will be required to visit the university
within eight weeks and submit and a confidential inspection report to the council
within a week from the date of inspection.

vi. RCI will examine the assessment report of the visiting team and take appropriate
decision on granting or not granting recognition to the concerned universities within
four weeks from the date of receipt of inspection report. The council will convey its
decision on the application of the applicant university within six weeks from the date
of receiving the inspection report.

vii. The applicant University wishing to introduce Bachelor in Special Education

programmes through ODL mode will initiate the process of seeking recognition at
least one year before the commencement of the course.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 13. Application Procedure for Grant of Approval to Study Centre

i. The concerned University will be required to establish and manage Learning Support
Centres (LSCs) or Study Centres (SCs) of its own or identify any institution fulfilling
the criteria as mentioned under clause 11 (a) ii or iii;

ii. Identified institution will need to seek approval from the University of which it
wishes to become a study centre to provide learning support to students pursuing
Bachelor in Special Education programmes by following the procedure as laid down
below (13 iii to vii) for seeking approval;

iii. Identified institution will have to submit an application to the RCI through the
concerned University on a prescribed application format (Annexure 3);

iv. The RCI in consultation with the University shall constitute an inspection team
consisting of (i) an official of the council; (ii) a nominee of the vice chancellor of the
university; and (iii) a disability specific expert;

v. The inspection team so constituted will need to visit the applicant Institution to
ascertain the information provided by the centre in their application form. The
inspection team will submit its inspection report on a prescribed format to the
council with a copy of the same to the concerned University. The Council will take an
appropriate decision whether to grant or not to grant approval to act as a Study
Centre.;

vi. The Council will convey its decision to the centre within four weeks of the receipt of
the inspection report.

vii. The Study Centre will sign a MOU with the University. Otherwise if not mentioned,
the MOU shall be bind to clauses and terms mentioned on this regulation. The
concerned University shall forward a copy of this MOU to the Council for record.

viii. Each Study Centre shall apply to the RCI through the University in prescribed form
for the continuation of the study centre with the fees as prescribed by the Council at
least 6 months before the expiry of approval.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 14. Functions of the University and Study Centre

i. Publishing about the programme on its website and in press for inviting applications
for admission giving all relevant details for the information of the prospective
students wishing to seek admission in Bachelor in Special Education Programme
through ODL mode;

ii. Process the applications of the students and conduct the entrance test for the
eligible students;

iii. Organizing counselling session for the students who would qualify the entrance test
for assigning to different study centres;

iv. Publishing the list of the selected candidates on the website of the University giving
the specific date by which the students would be required to complete the
admission process;

v. Preparing or getting prepared all kinds of self-Learning Material (SLM). Learner’s

handbooks and practical manuals before the commencement of the session;

vi. Organizing academic counselling and other activities on regular basis;

vii. Monitoring activities of the study centres for improving quality of training;

viii. Planning and conducting examinations and declaring the results on time.

15. De-recognition of the University

i. Any University recognized by RCI to offer Bachelor in Special Education Programme

through ODL mode found violating any condition(s) given in the MOU signed by the
university and the Council, the Council shall serve show cause notice to the
University asking for clarification;

ii. The University will be required to submit its clarification on the points mentioned in
the notice within sixty days from the date of receipt of such notice;

iii. The Council shall examine the clarification so submitted by the university, and shall
accept/reject the clarification within sixty days from the date of the receipt of the
clarification;

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 iv. In the event of rejecting the clarification and withdrawing the recognition, the
Council shall give specific reasons for the same.

16. Closing of Study Centre by University/ RCI

i. If a study centre fails to comply with conditions as contained in the Certificate of

Approval of RCI or in the MOU signed between Study Centre and the University. The
University /RCI may issue a show cause notice to the Institution/Study Centre as to
why not disciplinary action to be taken against the institute which may lead to
withdrawal of approval;

ii. The Study Centre may submit their written clarification against the notice within a
period of thirty days;

iii. If the University/ RCI withdraw permission of running its programme from Study
Centre then the closure of Study Centre shall be as per the procedure and time
frame that may be laid down by RCI.

17. ODL Support, Monitoring and Research Cell at RCI

i. Research cell at RCI will have a data base of all the universities conducting the ODL in
terms of admissions, students enrolled in each course, timely conduct of the course,
evaluation and the standards of infrastructure and other facilities being maintained,
the details of the teaching and administrative staff, change in staff if any and the
examinations and result declaration;

ii. Every university/institution and study centres conducting the RCI approved ODL
programmes shall keep RCI research cell informed of the above details;

iii. The cell shall plan and implement mechanism for learner support and monitoring of
universities and study centres;

iv. RCI shall support and promote workshops and conferences;

v. The research centre shall archive the data for research purposes by RCI and for
improving the quality and standards of the programmes, based on the collected
data;

vi. In case need arises, RCI shall support and promote research projects to improve
Open and Distance Learning in preparation of Special Education Teachers.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 Annexure-1

Checklist for Planning Academic Calendar

Part I

Important Dates Related to Admission:

Announcement of Admission Notification/Entrance Test
Entrance Test
Declaration of Results/Selection for Admission
Counselling for Admission & Payment of Fees
Close of Admission

Part II
Important Dates Related to Examination:
Expected Dates for Theory Examinations
Expected Dates for Practical/Practice Teaching Examinations

Part III
(i) Important Dates Related to Academic Counselling for Theory Papers:
Schedule for Academic Counselling
(iii) Important Dates Related to Workshop Based Activities and Practicum
Schedule for Workshop Based Activities
Schedule for School Based Activities
Schedule for Practice Teaching

Part IV
(i) Important Dates for Submissions
Submission of Assignments
Submission of Practical Records/Reports
Submission of Examination Forms & Fees

Part V
(i) Schedule for Learning through other media
Schedule for Tele conferencing
Schedule of Radio Counselling Session
Schedule of Online Sessions/Webinars

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 Annexure 2

Application Format For The Universities

1. Name of the University

2. Address of the University – (a) Postal Address (b) email id (c) Phone No (s)
3. Name of the Vice Chancellor – Email id and Phone no
4. Name of the Head of the department where the programme is to be located
5. Email id of the department, Phone Number(s) of the department
6. Name of the programme the University wishes to introduce. The session from which the
programme will commence.
7. Details of the teaching faculty in the department- Serial No, Name of the Faculty,
Designation, qualification (Academic and professional), date of appointment.
8. Details of the non -teaching staff
9. Details of Library facilities
10. Details of special equipment
11. A copy of the home page of the university’s website
12. A copy of the link of the department of the University’s website
13. List of documents attached
14. Signature, date and seal of the head of the department where the programme is located
15. Signature, date and seal of the registrar

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI

 Annexure 3.

Application Format For The Study Centres

1. Name and address of the institution:

2. Brief profile of the institution ( to be attached)
3. Name, designation and qualification of the head of the Institution
4. Email and phone number of the Head of the institution
5. Name, designation and qualification of the Programme Co- coordinator
6. Programme for which the students will be enrolled
7. Name and quantity of the required special equipment available in the centre
8. Library facilities
9. MOU between the Study Centre and the practice teaching schools to be attached (if the
Study Centre does not have its own special school)
10. Signature, Date and Seal.

B.Ed.Spl.Ed.-ODL Regulations, 2021-RCI