Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, the Central Registrar, in his remarks urged that VAMNICOM being the National Institute should adopt a few villages and PACS and work towards their development in a manner that these grass roots level democratic units become viable and profitable.
Likhi was speaking on the occasion of the Foundation Day of VAMNICOM in Pune on Tuesday. Late Vaikunth Bhai Mehta, after whose name this institute was christened dreamt of improving the lives of farmers for which he felt strengthening cooperative is a must.
Likhi also listed several reforms initiated and contemplated for cooperatives in the recent past.
Adding to the suggestion of DrLikhi’s proposal of adopting villages, Mrs Vasudha Mishra, Additional Secretary, said it would be appropriate to have research papers and students given the assignment of studying and comparing business models of successful and unsuccessful cooperatives.
Mrs Mishra emphasized the need of cross learning between cooperative institutions to cope up with the current needs. Doubling of farmers income is possible only by making agriculture as a business enterprise, she underlined. “Farmers should be trained to professionally plan their agricultural production and marketing activities”, she added.
“Enlighten Newsletter” prepared by the students of PGDM-ABM was released by the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
At the outset Dr. K.K. Tripathy, Director, VAMNICOM, while welcoming the guests highlighted the important steps taken in the last one year towards improvement in the quality of cooperative education, research, training and consultancy. Dr Tripathy also informed about various HR initiatives and infrastructure building activities of the Institute.