With political independence half a century ago, we established ourselves as a welfare state with the thrust on upliftment of weaker & marginalized sections of the society. The persons with disability constitute an important and significant group in such section of the society. They comprise five percent (approx.) of total population and require special attention.

A high level committee was set up in the year 1969 by the then Ministry of Social Welfare, Govt. of India to establish National Institutes to serve as apex organizations. They were aimed to develop rehabilitation services countrywide with emphasis to human resource development in disability specific sector viz. locomotor, visual, speech & hearing and mental retardation.

This National Institute was established in the area of locomotor disability in the year 1978 at Calcutta, West Bengal. Since then, the efforts have been made to promote rehabilitation management, education & training to develop manpower required for preventive, promotive & rehabilitative services for the persons with loco-motor disability.

The Institute was registered as an autonomous body under Societies Registration Act, 1860 in 1978.