The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has formally opened online registrations for the entrance examination to its Post Graduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology (PGDRPC) for the July 2026 academic session. The application process is being conducted through the Samarth Higher Education Admission Portal, and the University has fixed March 5 as the last date for submission.The notification marks the beginning of admissions to one of IGNOU’s specialised psychology programmes at a time when trained rehabilitation professionals remain in short supply across clinical, educational and community settings.
Programme anchored in regulatory framework
The Discipline of Psychology provides the PGDRPC in the School of Social Sciences (SOSS). The diploma has also been designed in a manner that a candidate is equipped with conceptual clarity as well as the applied skills in the field of Rehabilitation Psychology – an area that deals with assessment, therapeutic intervention, and long-term support of individuals with disabilities at various stages of their lives.According to the sources of the University, the programme is running according to the standards set out in the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) Regulations, 2017. Its compliance with the normative rules is the key to its academic organization and professional reputation.
Eligibility criteria according to RCI’s standards
According to the specified criteria, the applicants have to have any of the following qualifications in a UGC-recognised university:
- Four years of study, a Bachelor Degree (Regular Mode) in General Psychology as a subject;
- The holder must possess a Master Degree in any field of Psychology (distance mode or regular);
- Master of Degree in Counselling Psychology (distance or regular). Candidates under the General category should have obtained a minimum of 55 per cent aggregate marks in their qualifying examination whereas SC/ST/OBC-NCL candidates should have obtained a minimum of 50 per cent.
The authorities have made it evident that eligibility requirements are going to be taken seriously as per the provisions of RCI, leaving very little to deviation. The entrance exam will be carried out offline.The entry into it will be based on a competitive entrance test. The test will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions, with all having four marks, which equals 200 marks. The marking will be negative, and one mark will be deducted for each of the incorrect items. Incomplete questions will not receive any penalty.The examination will be conducted in an offline format in specific centres of the universities in the country. The candidates will be expected to answer the questions in an OMR sheet by following the recommended procedure. The time of the examination has been established as 90 minutes.The offline format and the structured marking scheme reflect the focus of the University on standardised assessment and transparency in the selection.
Surge in demand for rehabilitation specialists
The announcement has an important role in the context of increased national focus on disability rights, inclusive education, and mental health services. Specialists have always cited the lack of qualified rehabilitation psychologists, especially beyond metropolitan centres.IGNOU has opened admissions to the July 2026 session, thus putting the university in a position to fill a desperate skills shortage in the sector. Nevertheless, there are a few seats, and the rules that regulate who is eligible are in place; therefore, the competition will be high.It has been recommended to the applicants to fill out the online registration before the deadline of March 5 because no late submissions will be entertained.
