Sahkar Se Samriddhi
What happened
Sahkar Se Samriddhi ('Prosperity through Cooperation') is the guiding vision of India's revamped cooperative policy under the Ministry of Cooperation, established in July 2021. It aims to deepen cooperative penetration at the grassroots, revitalise PACS, and link cooperatives with national schemes. Key milestones include computerisation of 63,000 PACS, formation of new multipurpose cooperatives in uncovered panchayats, and NABARD's expanded role in cooperative credit. The vision aligns with the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
Why it matters
The phrase 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi' encapsulates India's strategic pivot toward cooperatives as a third pillar of the economy alongside the public and private sectors. When the Ministry of Cooperation was carved out in July 2021 — the first standalone ministry of its kind — it signalled that cooperatives were no longer a peripheral welfare instrument but a core economic vehicle.
The operational heart of this vision is the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS). There are approximately 1.00 lakh PACS across India, but many were dormant, unaudited, and informationally isolated. The government's response: computerise 63,000 PACS with a ₹2,516 crore outlay so they can integrate with CBS platforms of District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) and ultimately with NABARD's refinance architecture.
Beyond credit, the policy envisions PACS as multi-service delivery points — functioning as Common Service Centres, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and even FPO nodal agencies. This directly connects to NABARD's mandate: NABARD supervises State Cooperative Banks and DCCBs under Section 35 of the Banking Regulation Act and provides short-term and long-term refinance.
For UPSC, the significance lies in cooperative federalism, rural employment, and the PM's articulation of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Antyodaya philosophy. For NABARD Grade A, the examiner tests precise knowledge of PACS structure, NABARD's supervisory role, and current scheme figures — precisely the domain this vision reshapes.
The operational heart of this vision is the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS). There are approximately 1.00 lakh PACS across India, but many were dormant, unaudited, and informationally isolated. The government's response: computerise 63,000 PACS with a ₹2,516 crore outlay so they can integrate with CBS platforms of District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) and ultimately with NABARD's refinance architecture.
Beyond credit, the policy envisions PACS as multi-service delivery points — functioning as Common Service Centres, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and even FPO nodal agencies. This directly connects to NABARD's mandate: NABARD supervises State Cooperative Banks and DCCBs under Section 35 of the Banking Regulation Act and provides short-term and long-term refinance.
For UPSC, the significance lies in cooperative federalism, rural employment, and the PM's articulation of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Antyodaya philosophy. For NABARD Grade A, the examiner tests precise knowledge of PACS structure, NABARD's supervisory role, and current scheme figures — precisely the domain this vision reshapes.
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