Optometry Council of India

About OCI

There are more than 42000 primary eye care practitioners in India in addition to ophthalmologists who provide medical and surgical therapy the term. The term “ Eye care practitioners” includes optometrists, ophthalmic assistants and refractionists. Due to the huge number of eye care practitioners in India and the large number of institutions offering education, we need to establish uniform standards of education and practice so that our profession is on par with any other health care profession. An organisation that can represent the entire body of professionals to the government and also bring the profession to world-class standards - by regulating the practice and providing means of continuing education is the need of the hour. In order to answer this need, the Optometry Council of India was set up as a representative and regulatory body for the eye care practitioners in India.

The Optometry Council of India (OCI) is a self – regulatory body that was established in September 2012 under the Company Act and registered under the company act 25A( Not- for- profit company). This organization was formed with the help of Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) and Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).

It has a nine member board consisting of:

Three members from Indian Optometry Federation ( IOF)

Three members from Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)

A representative from Non – Government Organization who is active in eye care sector

A member involved with experience in community health programs

An active member from the health care sector of good standing

Why Optometry Council in India

Mindful of the need to certify and regulate the competence and standards of Optometrists and of Optometry Schools and Colleges; the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) and the Association of Schools and Colleges of India (ASCO) have together established a private, peer regulating Optometry Council of India in September 2012.

Role of Optometrists in India

In India, optometrists play a vital role in ensuring visual comfort of millions of people who need eye care. Optometrists work every day to save many schoolchildren from visual impairment or dropping out of school by timely prescription of glasses, help the elderly regain vision with glasses or timely referral for surgery, and also in multiple rural and urban areas by identifying potentially dangerous conditions that threaten eyesight or require surgery.

This service is not just in rural areas where medical care is inaccessible but also in urban areas where optometrists are approached for advice as the primary eye care professionals! In the corporate sector too, optometrists are rendering specialized service in contact lenses, orthoptic management, low vision, ocular diagnostics and many other areas.