National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Bill (Governance
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Bill (Governance)
Why In News:
Parliament approved amendments strengthening the National Cooperative Development Corporation, reflecting the government's continued push to revitalise India's cooperative sector.
Source: The Indian Express, Page 6, 13 August 2026, 'National Cooperative Development Corporation Bill gets House approval'
About the NCDC
The NCDC is a statutory corporation established under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
It provides financial and technical assistance to cooperative societies for agricultural marketing, processing, storage, and allied activities.
It functions under the Ministry of Cooperation, created as a separate ministry in July 2021.
Cooperatives
About: Cooperatives are voluntary, democratic and member-owned organisations formed to meet the shared economic, social and cultural needs of members, based on the principle of “one member, one vote.”
Constitutional Recognition: The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011 accorded constitutional recognition to cooperatives through:
Article 19(1)(c): Provides citizens the right to form cooperative societies.
Article 43B: Directs the State to promote voluntary, autonomous and democratic functioning of cooperatives.
Part IXB (Articles 243ZH–243ZT): Provides a constitutional framework for cooperative governance.
Legal and Regulatory Framework: Cooperatives operate under a dual regulatory structure:
State Cooperatives: Function within a single State and are governed by State cooperative laws under the State Registrar.
Multi-State Cooperatives: Operate across multiple States and are governed by the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, under the Central Registrar.
Geographical Distribution: Cooperatives are unevenly distributed across India, with Maharashtra accounting for more than one-fourth of the total.
National Cooperation Policy, 2025
Long-Term Roadmap: The policy replaces the National Cooperative Policy, 2002 and provides a 2025–2045 framework for strengthening India’s cooperative sector.
Expansion of Cooperatives: It aims to establish 2 lakh new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (M-PACS) to expand cooperative activities at the grassroots level.
Sectoral Convergence: It seeks to leverage schemes such as Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD).
Cooperative Education: The policy promotes professional education and capacity building through the Tribhuvan Sahkari University at Anand, Gujarat.