Latest news with #InternationalYearofCooperatives
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
India's cooperatives scaled traditional boundaries to become cutting-edge innovators: HM Amit Shah
Cooperatives in India have scaled the traditional boundaries and become innovators in cutting-edge areas like digital services and finance, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 'Technological innovation is making cooperatives more inclusive today. When we speak of sustainable development today, cooperatives are emerging as an effective medium to embody the core principles of circular economy', he said in a message to an event on Monday marking the International Year of Cooperatives. Shah, who also holds the Cooperatives portfolio, said, 'In India, cooperatives have now gone beyond their traditional boundaries and have become a medium for innovation and self-reliance in areas such as digital services, healthcare, education, energy, organic farming, and financial inclusion'. The event was organised by the permanent missions of India, Mongolia and Kenya, with the theme, 'Cooperatives and Sustainable Development: Keeping the Momentum and Exploring New Pathways'. Last year, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives to promote the role of cooperatives in achieving the goals of sustainable development. Kenya's Permanent Representative Ekitela Lokaale said cooperatives facilitated financial access for the people of this country through the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO). Cooperatives also provided avenues for sustainable and profitable agriculture through market access, and were now exploring new avenues towards sustainable development, he said. Mongolia's Permanent Representative N Ankhbayar, who shared his country's experience, said the way forward was to foster global cooperation in promoting cooperatives. India's Permanent Representative, P. Harish, said that imbued with the spirit of cooperation rooted in ancient Sanskrit texts, the cooperative sector has played a vital role over more than a century in the nation's growth. Shah said that 'for thousands of years, cooperation has been the soul of Indian values' and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed cooperation into a people's movement with the mantra of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation), Cooperatives in India are based on 'a cultural consciousness based on the fundamental principles of partnership, transparency, and social justice, guiding us from the path of 'I' to 'we' and are 'a testament to the power of collective strength'. India is developing the world-largest grain storage programme, which will be implemented through cooperatives to strengthen food security, ensure organised markets and provide better prices for farmers, he said. To connect farmers directly with global markets and ensure they get a fair share of the profits from exports, he said, three multi-state cooperative societies -- Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), and National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) -- have been set up.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: National Cooperative Policy 2025 — why it matters for UPSC exam
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget on the New National Cooperative Policy. (Relevance: Since 2025 is the International Year of Cooperatives as declared by the United Nations, the government initiative of introducing the New National Cooperatives Policy makes it an important topic for your examination. Also, in 2025, the UPSC prelims question was asked on the declared International Years.) On Thursday (24th July), the Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the new National Cooperative Policy 2025, replacing one in place for the past 23 years. It marked another milestone for the Ministry of Cooperatives, whose role has been expanding under the Narendra Modi government. The ministry said a new policy was needed because of globalisation and technological advancements in the past two decades. 1. The National Cooperative Policy will be effective from 2025 to 2045, i.e., approximately until the centenary of India's independence. Amit Shah said that the vision of the new cooperation policy is to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047 through 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi'. The policy is drafted by a 48-member committee led by Suresh Prabhu. 2. The policy defined the six pillars to achieve the set goals for the cooperative sector. These are: Strengthening the foundation, Promoting vibrancy, Preparing cooperative societies for the future, Enhancing inclusivity and expanding reach, Expanding into new sectors, and preparing the younger generation for cooperative development. 3. Notably, it is significant as the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives with the theme 'Cooperatives Build a Better World'. The launch of the International Year of Cooperatives was held in India in November 2024 — fittingly, as India has been taking the lead in promoting and strengthening cooperatives from the top levels of government since the new Ministry of Cooperation was formed in 2021. 4. The Ministry of Cooperation was formed as a separate ministry by the Modi government four years ago, with Shah given the charge of it. From 1979 till then, the cooperatives department fell under the Agriculture Ministry. 5. The new ministry, Sahkarita Mantralaya, was announced via a two-page notification in the official gazette, a day before Modi effected the biggest reshuffle of his second term, on July 7, 2021. Its vision was stated to be 'Sahakar se Samriddhi (Prosperity through Cooperation)'. 6. In the last four years, the ministry has seen several big initiatives, including the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2023, that ushered in three new cooperative bodies, including National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), with plans for 'the world's largest grain storage scheme' and two lakh new Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. The Model Cooperative Village initiative was also launched in Gandhinagar under the initiative of NABARD. 7. The formation of the NCEL has also opened up the export sector for cooperatives. Within months of its establishment, the NCEL received orders of rice and wheat from several countries, amounting to a total of Rs 5,000 crore. 8. Earlier this month, Shah laid the foundation stone of India's first national cooperative university, Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand, Gujarat, and advocated that cooperative education be included in the secondary school curricula. 1. The history of the cooperative sector dates back to before Independence, with a Cooperative Credit Societies Act enacted in 1904 after the recommendations of the Edward Law Committee. 2. Within a few years, there was an exponential expansion in the sector, with the number of societies registered under it increasing to 5,300 and their membership to over 3 lakh by 1911. 3. With the increase in the number of cooperatives, the Cooperative Societies Act of 1912 was enacted providing a basic framework for organisation of these cooperatives. This led to the constitution of the first Cooperative Housing Society, the Madras Cooperative Union, in 1914. 4. In the wake of the Banking crisis and the First World War, Maclagen Committee on Cooperation was constituted in 1914 to suggest on the state of credit cooperatives. 5. The Government of India Act 1919 transferred the operation as a subject to the provinces. The Bombay Cooperative Societies Act of 1925 became the first provincial act to be passed. 6. On December 14, 1946, eight months before the country got Independence, the Khera District Cooperative Milk Producers Milk Union, or Amul, was registered. After Independence, the cooperative sector retained a prominent place in the Five-Year Plans. 7. The milk cooperatives under the leadership of Verghese Kurien changed India's milk landscape from a highly deficit country to the world's largest producer of milk with 239 million tonnes, followed by the US at 103 million tonnes in 2023-24. 8. In 2002, when the NDA was in power under A B Vajpayee, the cooperative sector received a new focus, leading to the enactment of the National Cooperative Policy. Now, after 23 years, a new Cooperative Policy is being adopted. 1. Through the 97th constitutional amendment, Part IXB (The Co-Operative Societies) was inserted into the Constitution. The right to form cooperative societies was included as the Right to Freedom under Article 19 (1), Part-3 of the Constitution. 2. In addition to this, Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperative Societies) was also inserted as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part 4 of the Constitution of India. 3. Cooperatives are a state subject under the Constitution, meaning they come under the state governments' jurisdiction, but there are many societies whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state. For example, most sugar mills along the districts on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border procure cane from both states. The inter-state cooperatives are governed by the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. Cooperatives are organisations formed at the grassroots level by people to harness the power of collective bargaining in the marketplace. This can mean different kinds of arrangements, such as using a common resource or sharing capital, to derive a common gain that would otherwise be difficult for an individual producer to get. In agriculture, cooperative dairies, sugar mills, spinning mills etc. are formed with the pooled resources of farmers who wish to process their produce. The Cooperation Minister said that under PM Modi's leadership, the ministry has taken 60 initiatives. And all the initiatives are based on five Ps; 'People', 'PACS' (primary agriculture cooperative societies), 'Platform' (digital and national), 'Policy' and 'Prosperity'. The theme for the UN-declared 2025 International Year of Cooperatives is "Cooperatives Build a Better World". Consider the following pairs : How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All the four (Source: New cooperative policy after 23 yrs is one more leap for Amit Shah-led Cooperation Ministry, Embrace transparency, tech and member-centric approach: Amit Shah urges cooperative sector, In India's cooperative boom, women need to be at the centre, not the margins) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Mint
23-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Amit Shah to roll out National Cooperative Policy 2025 with 20-year vision—here's what to expect and why it matters
India's Cooperative sector is set for a major overhaul as Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will launch the National Cooperative Policy 2025 on July 24, Thursday, effective from this year for two decades. It replaces the 2002 policy that provided a fundamental framework for better handling of cooperative institutions' economic activities. Now, the new policy emphasises reviving and modernising the cooperative sector while aiming to achieve prosperity through cooperation by developing a roadmap at the ground level. The aim of the National Cooperative Policy 2025 is to ensure that cooperative organisations are accessible to all, run efficiently and professionally, geared towards future needs, and capable of generating extensive employment and income-generating avenues, particularly in rural areas. The Ministry of Cooperation believes significant changes occurred in the society, country and abroad in the last 20 years due to globalisation and technological innovation. Considering this, 'it became necessary to formulate a new policy so that cooperative institutions can be made more active and useful in the current economic scenario and the role of the cooperative sector can be strengthened in achieving the goal of 'Viksit Bharat 2047', the ministry stated. Shah pointed out three key factors contributing to the decline of the cooperative movement in India: outdated laws that remained unchanged, lack of evolution and expansion in cooperative activities, and recruitment practices influenced by favouritism. "The Modi government has now amended these laws and conceived the idea of Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU) to address these issues," he asserted. It will support employment and benefit 1.4 billion people. 2. Shah mentioned setting up cooperatives in every village across India within five years, with a goal of establishing 2,00,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by February 2026, at a state cooperation ministers' meeting on the occasion of the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025. 3. During the meeting that assessed initiatives taken by the Ministry of Cooperation, talks on advancing dairy and fisheries cooperatives and executing the world's largest grain storage scheme within the cooperative sector took place. Shah mandated that all states declare their own cooperative policies by January 31, 2026. 'Now we have brought cooperative banks under the Banking Act and the Reserve Bank of India has also taken a flexible approach and solved many of our problems," the minister said. He stressed that not a single village in the country should be left without a cooperative, and the National Cooperative Database should be utilised to attain this goal. A 48-member national-level committee led by former Union Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu drafted the new National Cooperative Policy. The committee comprised representatives from national and state cooperative federations, cooperative societies across various levels and sectors, officials from relevant central and state government ministries or departments, and academicians. To promote an inclusive and participatory process, the committee conducted 17 meetings and organised four regional workshops in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Gurugram, and Patna. In total, 648 suggestions from stakeholders were thoroughly reviewed and integrated into the new cooperative policy. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)
News18
18-07-2025
- Business
- News18
NABARD sanctions Rs 4,613 cr for rural projects in Arunachal: GM Mishra
Itanagar, Jul 18 (PTI) The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 4,613 crore for 485 infrastructure projects across Arunachal Pradesh. These projects, supported under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), have significantly contributed to enhancing rural connectivity, irrigation systems, and livelihood generation, NABARD General Manager Damodar Mishra said here on Friday. Addressing the 44th foundation day of the bank here, Mishra said the institution remains deeply committed to inclusive growth and sustainable rural development in the state. 'NABARD has not only financed critical infrastructure but has also been driving rural credit planning, the digitisation of primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), promotion of micro-enterprises, and climate-resilient farming practices," Mishra said. He added that NABARD's vision for Arunachal Pradesh is aligned with national priorities and focuses on building self-reliant, cooperative-led rural economies. The event also served to mark the global observance of the International Year of Cooperatives, declared by the United Nations. NABARD's Arunachal Pradesh regional office organised a sensitisation programme on the theme 'Cooperatives Build a Better World', underscoring the importance of cooperative institutions in achieving equitable development. The programme was attended by Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Vice Chancellor Prof S K Nayak, along with senior officials from the Department of Cooperation, RBI, SIDBI, NCDC, Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank, cooperative unions and other partner organisations. Marking the occasion, Chief Minister Pema Khandu commended NABARD's role in driving rural progress. 'NABARD has been instrumental in supporting Arunachal's rural aspirations, from infrastructure to innovation. We value this long-standing partnership," Khandu said in a post on X. On the occasion, a booklet titled 'NABARD in Arunachal Pradesh" was released, chronicling the institution's contributions to the state. PTI UPL UPL NN view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NABARD sanctions Rs 4,613 cr for rural projects in Arunachal: GM Mishra
NABARD has sanctioned Rs 4,613 crore for 485 infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, boosting rural connectivity and livelihoods. The institution is committed to inclusive growth, driving rural credit planning, digitisation, and climate-resilient farming. Commemorating its 44th foundation day and the International Year of Cooperatives, NABARD reaffirmed its dedication to building self-reliant rural economies in Arunachal Pradesh. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development ( NABARD ) has sanctioned Rs 4,613 crore for 485 infrastructure projects across Arunachal Pradesh These projects, supported under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), have significantly contributed to enhancing rural connectivity, irrigation systems, and livelihood generation, NABARD General Manager Damodar Mishra said in Itanagar on the 44th foundation day of the bank here, Mishra said the institution remains deeply committed to inclusive growth and sustainable rural development in the state."NABARD has not only financed critical infrastructure but has also been driving rural credit planning, the digitisation of primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), promotion of micro-enterprises, and climate-resilient farming practices," Mishra added that NABARD's vision for Arunachal Pradesh is aligned with national priorities and focuses on building self-reliant, cooperative-led rural event also served to mark the global observance of the International Year of Cooperatives, declared by the United Arunachal Pradesh regional office organised a sensitisation programme on the theme 'Cooperatives Build a Better World', underscoring the importance of cooperative institutions in achieving equitable programme was attended by Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Vice Chancellor Prof S K Nayak, along with senior officials from the Department of Cooperation, RBI, SIDBI, NCDC, Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank, cooperative unions and other partner the occasion, Chief Minister Pema Khandu commended NABARD's role in driving rural progress."NABARD has been instrumental in supporting Arunachal's rural aspirations, from infrastructure to innovation. We value this long-standing partnership," Khandu said in a post on the occasion, a booklet titled "NABARD in Arunachal Pradesh" was released, chronicling the institution's contributions to the state.
