SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Cooperation
The Ministry of Cooperation held a two-day national workshop in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, bringing together state secretaries, registrars, and cooperative leaders to accelerate reforms for a stronger and more digitalised cooperative sector. The focus was on modernising Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and broadening the reach of cooperatives beyond agriculture into healthcare, services, and value-chain integration.
Key sessions highlighted the computerisation of PACS, ARDBs, and Registrars’ offices, with NABARD presenting progress on software development, hardware procurement, and capacity building. The workshop also reviewed implementation of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the cooperative sector, beginning with 500 pilot PACS and scaling to 29,000 units nationwide. States were urged to form and strengthen two lakh multipurpose cooperatives across panchayats and villages, and to share data with the National Cooperative Database (NCD), which now maps over 8.4 lakh societies and 32 crore members.
The Tirupati workshop signals a transition from traditional to data-driven, digitally connected, and diversified cooperatives. By linking digitisation, infrastructure creation, and local entrepreneurship, the reforms aim to boost rural incomes, transparency, and efficiency. They align with the government’s Sahkar Se Samriddhi vision and the broader goal of “Reform, Perform, Transform, and Inform” for cooperative governance.
What are PACS? → Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) are village-level cooperative institutions that provide farmers with credit, inputs, procurement, and storage services. They form the grassroots foundation of India’s short-term cooperative credit system.
What is the National Cooperative Database (NCD)? → The National Cooperative Database (NCD), launched in March 2024 by the Ministry of Cooperation, is a central digital platform that maps India’s entire cooperative ecosystem.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can digital transformation and diversification of cooperatives ensure equitable participation and income growth across India’s rural economy?
Follow the full news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2176946