By D N Thakur
I emphasized on the fact that food security and the food supply chain and exploiting business potential of the agriculture sector are the main future challenges, and this is where enormous business opportunities lie. My experience gives me enough confidence to say that cooperatives are the most appropriate institutional form for harnessing these business opportunities and also that a true cooperative value based economic enterprise cannot fail whatever the overall economic condition be.
The successive Government, post-independence did not appreciate the potential of the cooperative sector. The nation has to be grateful to our beloved prime minister who appreciated these facts and created a separate ministry for cooperation at the central level for strengthening cooperative movement in the country. Now the country needs “Cooperative revolution” for realising the dreams of our Hon’ble Prime Minister and all those who are attached to the cooperative values have to shoulder this responsibility.
A massive awareness campaign to sensitize all the stakeholders is the need of the hour.
Cooperatives can only be sustainable if a proper enabling environment is in place. One of the most important enabling factors is the availability of capable and efficient human resources. An appropriate education and training system has a positive effect on the establishment and evolution of sound, efficient and financially viable cooperatives.
Commensurate with this initiative, this year’s budget has announced measures for keeping alive and strengthening the ‘cooperative spirit’ in the country. The Budget has recognized the importance of education and training for improving the functioning of cooperative institutions and a separate budget provision has been made in this direction.
Cooperatives are as strong as their members make them. Therefore, members need to understand the basic principles of cooperation and the underlying rationales. They have to be motivated and committed to work together for their individual and common benefit. They have to know their rights and obligations and understand the rules governing their cooperatives (law, regulations, by-laws). They need to be prepared to make the required financial contributions and to share risks. Training and education programmes have to be designed for addressing all these aspects.
The Government should revamp the existing education and training system and create a national level professional driven efficient education and training institution for national, multi-state, state, regional, district and primary level cooperatives. VAMNICOM, Pune should be developed as a national centre for excellence in cooperative education, training and research.
Vamnicom should have the required autonomy and freedom to collaborate and set up its centres at various levels after assessing the requirements. This institution should design education and training programmes for board level members, ordinary members and also potential members, as well as set up a frequent information service for members.
This institution should be under complete control of the Central Government. It is heartening to see that for the first time a separate budget has been provided to VAMNICOM. Government is envisaging to convert it into a full-fledged independent institution with its own budgetary allocation. Now the Government should pay its attention to function and functional aspects for converting this institution into an autonomous national centre of excellence.
There is a need to revamp, restructure and strengthen the existing cooperative education and training institutional network which comprises NCCT and 19 ICMs and RICMs functioning with Government grant/assistance. The RICMs and ICMs may be converted into regional centres for excellence with academic linkage with VAMNICOM. Education and training courses for enhancing and deepening knowledge of new production techniques and products should also to be designed because these are the key factors for the success and viability of any cooperative.
