Global good practices for cooperatives: ICAAP and NCDC join hands

New Delhi

The International Co-operative Alliance Asia And Pacific (ICAAP) President Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav and the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) President Dileep Sanghani on January 18 jointly released a policy recommendation handbook on Sahakar Pragya Good Practices for Cooperatives based on a ‘Brainstorming Session on International Good Practices Platform for Cooperatives’ conducted earlier by the Laxmanrao Inamdar National Academy for Cooperative Research and Development (LINAC) of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

The handbook is expected to help cooperatives in India and abroad to innovate and adopt the best models not only to stay competitive but also to distinguish themselves as successful commercial entities. MD NCDC Sundeep Nayak and National President Sahakar Bharati DN Thakur were also present at the function held at NCDC headquarters.

Speaking on the occasion, Yadav pointed out that “the cooperatives have inherent advantages in tackling the problems of poverty alleviation, food security, and employment generation — a path to self-reliance. This has also been reflected during the Covid-19 times.

“I am certain, that this handbook will be a beacon of light for many cooperatives looking to contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat, ie self-reliant India.”  

A compendium of guidelines, resources, methodologies, key learning, case studies of the best performing cooperatives in India and abroad and the outcome and impact, the handbook would serve as an action plan that can help these entities to achieve the goal of self-reliance.

Dileep Sanghani said that it was heartening to note that taking a cue from Amit Shah, NCDC-LINAC and ICAAP “have come together to set up a platform to share their wide experience and ideas for transmitting Indian good practices of cooperatives abroad and vice versa.”

“The handbook has been developed by LINAC-NCDC in consultation with eminent experts and leading organizations in the domain of cooperatives,” recalled NCDC MD Sundeep Nayak.

International experts and other participants from across the country had deliberated on the difficulties in operating cooperatives and possible solutions to those challenges.

The final format also included focused group discussions covering best practices adopted by several cooperatives in the country as in abroad which helped them deftly sail through the economic gloom posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the best practices were from milk, credit and banking co-operatives in the handbook, details of which are aligned with the Government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

India has more than 8 lakh registered cooperative societies, especially in the agricultural and agri-allied sector, banking and housing sectors.