Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday underscored the importance of expanding youth and women's participation in the cooperative sector while advocating for stronger global partnerships to enhance India's cooperative movement.
Chairing a high-level meeting, PM Modi emphasized the role of technology-driven transformation under the vision of "Sahkar Se Samruddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation) and highlighted the need to promote organic products through cooperatives. He urged cooperative institutions to explore export markets and implement soil testing models to boost agricultural productivity.
Recognizing the importance of financial inclusivity, the Prime Minister proposed the integration of UPI with RuPay Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to simplify transactions for farmers. He also called for healthy competition among cooperative organizations to foster innovation and efficiency.
To enhance transparency, PM Modi stressed the need to document cooperative assets and suggested promoting cooperative farming as a sustainable agricultural model. He recommended leveraging digital public infrastructure (Agristack) to modernize agricultural practices and improve farmers’ access to essential services.
Education and Skill Development in Cooperatives
The Prime Minister proposed introducing cooperative-focused courses in schools, colleges, and IIMs to cultivate future leaders in the sector. He also advocated for ranking cooperative organizations based on performance, encouraging young graduates to actively contribute to the movement.
National Cooperation Policy 2025
The meeting reviewed the National Cooperation Policy 2025, which aims to systematically strengthen the cooperative ecosystem with a special focus on women and youth empowerment. Through extensive consultations, the policy has been crafted to drive rural economic development and deepen grassroots-level impact.
Since its establishment, the Ministry of Cooperation has launched 60 initiatives across seven key areas, including:
? Digitization of cooperative institutions via the National Cooperative Database
? Modernization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)
? Strengthening cooperative sugar mills for improved efficiency
Under a "whole-of-government approach," over 15 schemes from more than 10 ministries have been integrated at the PACS level to maximize the cooperative sector’s growth.
Expanding India's Cooperative Footprint
Currently, one-fifth of India's population is linked to the cooperative sector, comprising over 8.2 lakh cooperative institutions across 30+ industries, with a membership exceeding 30 crore individuals.
The meeting was attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Principal Secretary to PM P.K. Mishra, and Principal Secretary-2 to PM Shaktikanta Das.