There is going to be a big change in the cooperative sector of India. Union Home Minister and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah will launch the National Cooperative Policy 2025 on Thursday, July 24, which will be effective for the next twenty years from this year. This policy will replace the old policy of 2002, which provided a infrastructure to conduct the economic activities of cooperative institutions.
Emphasis on revival and modernization of cooperatives
The aim of the new policy is to revive and modernize the cooperative sector. In this, it has been said to prepare roadmap at the ground level and achieve ‘prosperity through cooperatives’. It will be ensured that cooperative institutions are accessible to all, efficient and professional operated, correspond to future needs and especially create large scale employment and income opportunities in rural areas.
Why is the 2002 policy being changed?
The Ministry of Cooperation believes that due to globalization and technological innovation in the last 20 years, there has been a big change at society, country and international level. In such a situation, it has become necessary that a new policy should be introduced, so that cooperatives can be made more active and useful in the current economic scenario and strengthening the role of the cooperative sector in the target of ‘developed India 2047’.
Three major reasons for decline in cooperative movement
Amit Shah gave three main reasons for the falling condition of the cooperative movement-
- Old laws that did not change over time
- Cooperative activities did not develop and expand
- Drain and nepotism in the recruitment process.
He said that the Modi government has now amended these laws and has imagined Tribhuvan Cooperative University (TSU) to solve these problems.
What expectations from National Cooperative Policy 2025?
The new policy will benefit 140 crore people of the country and big employment opportunities will be prepared. Amit Shah said that cooperative institutions will be established in every village of the country in the next five years. By February 2026, a target has been set to set up 2 lakh primary agricultural credit societies (PACS). He made this announcement in a meeting of State Cooperatives Ministers on the occasion of International Cooperative Year (IYC) 2025.
Emphasis on dairy, fisheries and grain storage too
During the meeting, efforts made by the Ministry of Cooperation were reviewed. It also discussed the development of cooperatives in dairy and fisheries and the implementation of the world’s largest grain storage scheme through the cooperative sector.
Instructions for states to bring cooperative policy
Amit Shah instructed all the states to prepare their state level cooperative policies by 31 January 2026. He also informed that now cooperative banks have been brought under the Banking Act and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also resolved many problems by taking a flexible stand.
The spirit of cooperatives reaches every village
Shah said that there should be no village in the country where there is no cooperative institution. The National Cooperative Database will be fully used to achieve this goal.
48 -member committee prepared new policy
The new National Cooperative Policy 2025 has been prepared by the 48 -member National Committee formed under the leadership of former Union Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu. This committee included representatives of national and state level cooperative associations, members of cooperative societies of various fields, officials and academics of the concerned ministries or departments of the central and state government.
Policy made on the basis of suggestions
To make this policy inclusive and participation based, the committee held 17 meetings and held 4 regional workshops in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gurugram and Patna. A total of 648 suggestions were received from various stakeholders, who were included in the policy after carefully review.