The State Government of Odisha on 18th November 2021, has published the Odisha State Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Act, 2019 for the purpose of co-ordination and determination of standards of education in the field of occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
As per the Act, no person shall establish an institution or no institution shall, open a new or higher course of study or training or increase its admission capacity in any course of study or training including a post -graduate course of study or training, except with the previous permission of the Government.
Every person shall, for the purpose of obtaining permission shall submit to the Government an application with a scheme in such manner and with such fees as may be prescribed and on receipt of such application the Government shall refer the scheme to the Council for its recommendations.
The Government may, after considering the scheme and the recommendations of the Council and after obtaining, where necessary, such other particulars as may be considered necessary by it from the person concerned, approve the scheme (with such conditions, if any, as it may consider necessary) and the approval so granted shall be deemed to be permission:
Provided that where the Government consider to disapprove the scheme, it shall give opportunity to the applicant to represent for the objection, if any, made by the Government and the Government shall, after considering the representation, either pass order for approval or disapproval.
Further if any institution is established without obtaining the previous permission of the Government, no occupational therapy or physiotherapy qualification granted to any student of such institution shall be a recognised qualification for the purposes of this Act.
Any University or other institution in India, which grants qualifications in occupational therapy or physiotherapy, may apply to the Government, for the purpose of recognition of such qualification granted by other University in India and the Government, after consulting the Council, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that it shall be a recognised University or institution, as the case may be, for the purpose of this Act, only after a specified date.
