Sahkar Se Samriddhi (Governance)
Sahkar Se Samriddhi (Governance)
Why In News:
The Ministry of Cooperation, established on 6 July 2021 under the vision of 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation), completed five years on 6 July 2026.
One of the major milestones include transformation of 50,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into e-PACS.
Source: PIB Analysis, 6 July 2026 - 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi: Five Years of Strengthening India's Cooperative Movement'
What are Cooperatives?
Definition: A cooperative is a voluntary association of individuals with common economic, social, or cultural needs who come together to achieve shared economic goals.
Objective: Works on the principles of self-help, mutual aid, and democratic participation, with a special focus on the weaker and poorer sections of society.
Resource Sharing: Members pool their resources and manage them collectively for mutual benefit.
Cooperative Movement
The global cooperative movement has been significantly promoted by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), founded in 1895 by E.V. Neale and Edward Owen Greening.
It is a global Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to promoting and strengthening the cooperative movement worldwide.
In November 2024, India hosted the ICA Global Cooperative Conference for the first time under theme: “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All”, aligned with India’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi.”
Cooperatives in India
● Evolution: The cooperative movement in India began with the Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904.
● Current Status
○ India accounts for 27% of the world’s cooperatives.
○ Around 20% of India’s population is associated with cooperatives, compared to the global average of 12%.
Nearly 57% of India’s cooperatives are concentrated in:
Maharashtra (around 25% of total cooperatives)
Gujarat
Telangana
Madhya Pradesh
Karnataka
Constitutional Status of Cooperatives
The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011 granted constitutional status to cooperative societies through the following provisions:
Fundamental Right: Included “cooperative societies” under Article 19(1)(c), recognizing the right to form cooperative societies.
Directive Principle: Inserted Article 43B, directing the State to promote voluntary, autonomous, democratic, and professionally managed cooperatives.
Part IXB: Added Articles 243ZH to 243ZT, providing a constitutional framework for cooperative governance.
Governance Structure
● Multi-State Cooperative Societies
Fall under Entry 44 of the Union List.
Governed by the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
State Cooperative Societies
Fall under Entry 32 of the State List.
Governed by the respective State Cooperative Societies Acts.