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NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, marking a significant step towards enhancing the cooperative sector through specialized education and training. The Lok Sabha had earlier cleared the Bill on March 26, 2025.
Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol emphasized that the cooperative movement plays a crucial role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make India the world’s third-largest economy by 2027. With more than 50 percent of the population engaged in agriculture and over 8 lakh cooperatives boasting a membership exceeding 30 crores, the cooperative sector is a key driver of rural economic growth.
Strengthening the Cooperative Sector
Mohol highlighted the government’s commitment to bolstering cooperatives, citing a tenfold increase in the budget allocation for the Department of Cooperation from Rs 122 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1,190 crore today. Under PM Modi’s leadership, an independent Ministry of Cooperation was established to support various cooperative institutions, including Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy cooperatives, sugar mills, cooperative banks, and textile mills.
He praised Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah for initiating 60 transformative measures to reinvigorate the sector, particularly focusing on PACS. The government has amended PACS bye-laws, making them multipurpose entities, a move already adopted by 32 states and Union Territories.
Major Cooperative Initiatives
Digital Transformation: The Ministry is overseeing the computerization of 66,000 PACS nationwide, with an investment of ₹ 2,516 crore.
Expanded PACS Network: The government aims to establish 2 lakh PACS, with 14,000 already formed, and a target of 3 lakh PACS in the next five years.
Women & Marginalized Representation: New PACS bye-laws mandate the inclusion of SC/ST members and at least one woman on their boards.
National Cooperative Database: A centralized digital repository has been created for cooperative institutions.
Additionally, under Amit Shah’s leadership, three national-level cooperative societies—Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), and National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL)—were established in 2023 to support farmers from seed procurement to market access. These societies now have 34,000 cooperative institutions as members, ensuring better financial returns for farmers.
World’s Largest Food Storage Scheme
Mohol announced the implementation of the World’s Largest Food Storage Scheme through PACS, which will reduce transportation costs, protect crops, and provide storage facilities closer to farmers. He also pointed out that financial assistance to cooperatives through the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has surged from ₹5,300 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.28 lakh crore under the Modi government, with ₹10,000 crore allocated to sugar mills this year alone.
Tribhuvan Sahkari University: A Game-Changer for Cooperative Education
Addressing challenges such as inefficiency, mismanagement, and limited technical adoption in cooperatives, Mohol underscored the need for an institutional system to professionalize the sector. The Tribhuvan Sahkari University will bridge this gap by providing specialized education, research, and training in cooperative management.
Training & Employment: The cooperative sector is projected to require 17 lakh trained professionals in the next five years.
Standardized Education: The university will centralize and enhance the currently scattered training programs.
Empowering Youth: It will instill cooperative values and encourage young professionals to pursue careers in this field.
The passage of the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 marks a milestone in India’s cooperative reform journey, ensuring a well-trained workforce that will drive the sector’s expansion and contribute to the nation’s economic goals.
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