AHMEDABAD: In a high-stakes address at the Maha Sammelan in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Union Minister Amit Shah declared India’s lead role in the UN-designated International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
Linking grassroots reform with global recognition, Union Minister Amit Shah on Sunday outlined a nationwide revival plan focused on strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), promoting tech-driven transparency, and enhancing citizen participation. With 57 initiatives already in motion and a target to establish 2 lakh PACS by 2029, Shah said the Centre is positioning the cooperative movement as a key pillar of Viksit Bharat.
Kicking off the address, Shah highlighted the global spotlight on cooperatives, announcing that the United Nations will mark 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. He underscored that the term “cooperative” remains as relevant today as it was in the 1900s, with India set to lead this international movement, an initiative launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 to revive India’s fading cooperative sector.
Tying India’s domestic reforms with global developments, Shah noted that the country had introduced two core principles, Sahkar se Samriddhi and The Role of Cooperation in Viksit Bharat, as pillars of the cooperative renaissance.
"Today’s conference in Gujarat," he said, "is a direct outcome of this broader national effort." He stressed that revitalising the cooperative sector must begin at the grassroots, particularly by empowering Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and farmers. Without transforming these foundational units, broader reforms would remain ineffective.
To this end, Shah called for enhanced training, awareness, and transparency across all cooperative institutions. Marking a strategic shift, Shah emphasised the government's focus on both the “science of cooperation” and “science in cooperation.”
Reflecting on the historic decline of India’s cooperative movement, once deeply embedded in the freedom struggle, he said it was now the collective duty of stakeholders to re-establish cooperatives across states and districts. The aim, he added, is to fortify institutions at the district, state, and national levels, building a robust and resilient cooperative framework.
In a significant structural reform, Shah announced the addition of a fourth tier to the global three-tier cooperative system, ensuring national institutions align with local-level cooperatives. This expansion, he said, would be a critical mission during the International Year of Cooperatives.
Outlining the government’s roadmap, Shah detailed a three-pronged strategy - mainstreaming cooperation in governance, embedding transparency through technology, and mobilising citizen participation. He revealed that the Ministry of Cooperation has launched 57 diverse initiatives to accelerate this campaign. Education is also being revamped.
Shah announced the establishment of Tribhuvan Sahakari University to serve as a national hub for cooperative studies. States, he said, are now aligning their cooperative education frameworks with this vision.
Reiterating the centrality of PACS, Shah declared the government's target to establish one PACS in every panchayat by 2029, amounting to over 2 lakh new PACS and dairies. Additionally, around 22 services have been integrated into PACS, enhancing their functional scope. He also confirmed that a policy is being formulated to rehabilitate defunct PACS and enable the creation of new ones.
Shah concluded by calling for deeper synergy under the principle of Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives. He urged all primary cooperative societies and dairies to maintain accounts with district cooperative banks, fostering inter-institutional coordination and financial discipline.
With 2025 approaching, Shah made it clear, India is not just participating in the International Year of Cooperatives, it is leading it, with bold reforms aimed at building a cooperative-powered Viksit Bharat.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday addressed the Maha Sammelan in Ahmedabad, The event, hosted by the Gujarat State Cooperative Federation, saw the presence of Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and other key figures. Tying local action to national vision, Shah also joined the Tiranga Yatra in Gandhinagar and participated in multiple programmes on his second day in Gujarat.