(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Raising in Unison: Realizing the sahkar se samriddhi

(JULY-2025)

Raising in Unison: Realizing the sahkar se samriddhi

Context:

Cooperation is a method of regulating various aspects of economic activity taken up under collective effort and ownerships. This was formally introduced in India, under the British Rule through the Cooperative Credit Societies Act - No. X of 1904. The joint family system and the tradition of mutuality, prevalent in the economic life of the people in India even prior to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Act of 1904, bear testimony that the philosophy of cooperation has been a sine-qua-non of the lifeline of the country. Innumerous references can be found in the Vedas, the laws of Manu and the Arthashastra of Kautilya. Prominently, Arthashastra provides- “Whoever stays away from any kind of cooperative undertaking shall send his servants and bullocks to carry on the work, shall have a share in the expenditure but not in the profits”.

Status of Cooperative Movement

Cooperatives have distinctive identities. These are community level business organizations with incredible capacity to generate and absorb social capital. India has always advocated ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, primarily focusing on improving socio-economic welfare of all without any discrimination.
In post-independent India, cooperatives experienced a significant shift as they received due recognition in the perspective plannings of Gol. India now houses 814,575 cooperatives with 29 crore (Table-2) members.
Among them, there are 810,613 Primary Cooperatives, 19 National level cooperative federations/societies. Today, cooperatives have a presence in 98% of villages with 29 crore members.

Making PACS Vibrant

Model bye-laws for PACS were drawn with a view to create a vibrant and feasible grass-root multi-purpose, multi-dimensional and vibrant cooperative culture and circulated to the States/UTs for appropriate adoption.
The model bye-laws enable PACS of 32 States/UTs to take up more than 25 business activities ranging from fisheries, dairy, storage, warehouses, Common Service Centres, banking correspondence to activities pertaining to new and renewable energy and other emerging areas besides provisioning improved and quality and accountable cooperative governance.
The model byelaws have the potential to enhance operational efficiency, transparency and responsibility toward collective and all-inclusive community development.

PACS as Service Dispensing Centres

An agreement signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Cooperation (MoC), NABARD and CSC e-services aimed at registering and digitizing PACS/Large Area Multi- Purpose Societies (LAMPS) to provide more than 300 e-services to common citizens. Services, inter alia, include banking, insurance, Aadhaar enrolment/update legal services, agri-input management, PAN card, bus/ air/rail ticket services, etc.

Promoting Cooperative FPOs

GoI’s strategic push to integrate Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Fishery Farmers Producers Organizations (FFPOs) withinthecooperative framework marks a significant leap toward strengthening rural livelihoods and diversifying income sources. With NCDC’s active role in forming 1,100 cooperative- based FPOs and FFPOs, cooperatives are now better positioned to venture into high-value agricultural and allied activities.
While 730 cooperative FPOs have been formed by NCDC as in March 2025, NCDC has registered 70 FFPOs in the initial phase. This convergence not only enhances production and market access but also empowers grassroots institutions like PACS and fisheries cooperatives to become engines of rural economic transformation and inclusive growth.

PACS in Oil & Energy Business

The PACS are now allowed to avail licenses for Petrol/Diesel dealerships and LPG distributorships. This affirmative initiative ensures business diversifications and generate income and employment. 286 PACS from 25 States/UTs have applied online to the Oil Marketing Companies seeking license for opening retail petrol/ diesel outlets. Further, PACS have tremendous potential in achieving energy security.
With minimal handholding support from the government, they can become active partners in implementing various renewable energy schemes of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Farmers associated with PACS can now adopt solar agricultural water pumps and install photo-voltaic modules in their farms.

Way ahead:

India celebrates its past glorious achievements and explores pathways to make a deprivation-free and socio-economically prosperous environment. At the time when the nation is advancing towards attaining Viksit Bharat@20A7 tag, we must get ourselves future- ready to becoming one of the world economic leaders through the mechanism of cooperation during the remaining period of the Amrit Kal [2025-2047].
GoI, through a unified and all-inclusive approach, has shown its resolve to realizing the vision of Sahkar Se Samriddhi. Cooperatives have the potential to significantly contribute to the goal of a five trillion- dollar economy while upholding inclusion and equity.
Achieving these calls for- urgent revitalization of primary cooperatives and collective national efforts towards ensuring a cohesive, community-driven cooperative movement.

Conclusion:

The vision of Sahkar Se Samriddhi is not merely a policy aspiration— it is a call for action for inclusive, people-centric economic transformation. By uniting efforts across all levels of governance, strengthening cooperative institutions, and empowering grassroots entrepreneurship, we can build a resilient and equitable cooperative ecosystem. As we move forward, sustained commitment, policy support, and collaborative leadership will be crucial in turning cooperatives into engines of prosperity, bridging regional disparities, and fostering a self-reliant, empowered India through the spirit of cooperation.