National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI)’s training arm National Centre for Cooperative Education (NCCE) began a three month course titled “Diploma in Cooperative Education and Development” in its headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday.
The ambitious course which awards certificates at the end is being attended by participants from many of the neighboring countries including Bangladesh, Nepal and Mauritius as well as Indian participants from different cooperative bodies.
Addressing participants, NCUI Chairman Chandra Pal Singh Yadav said “In this three month diploma program you come to know about how to run a cooperative society and also learn about cooperative principles”.
Singh said India’s Cooperative movement is the largest movement of the world having 6 lakh cooperatives and about 25 crore people as its members – a population roughly equal to the population of America.
Referring to ICMs and RICMs, he said there are twenty cooperative institutions located in different states who are conducting different types of programs for cooperators. Pune based Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Co-operative Management is playing an important role in Training, Singh added.
Cooperative Banks are also playing an important role through providing credit at cheap rates to the farmers and their contributions in the loaning system giving more than 30 percent of loans. Whereas, Fertilizer Cooperatives are contributing up to 40 percent and Sugar Cooperatives more than 50 percent, Singh said.
In his remarks, KRIBHCO Managing Director N.Sambasiva Rao described NCUI the apex organization as the engine of growth and development of the cooperative movement in India and said it is evident from NCCE conducting various programme for cooperative Chairmen, Directors and Members.
Explaining the existence of the cooperative movement, Rao said India’s cooperative movement is 100 years old and has had a major impact on rural India. Almost 100 percent of the country’s villages are covered by cooperatives, he added.
As per their bye-laws, KRIBHCO and IFFCO can sell their products only through cooperative societies and it is a
IFFCO, Deputy General Manager Tarun Bhargawa urged the participants to learn about cooperative culture, best practices being followed in different Cooperatives in India.
”The goal of cooperatives is working for a sustainable development and most importantly Financial Sustainability of Cooperatives, I urge participants to learn about the Financial Sustainability of Cooperatives in India” Bhargava emphasized.
Recounting the initiative of IFFCO he said, IFFCO is the largest Fertilizer manufacturing and marketing cooperative in India and also the largest cooperative of the world. Our organization is focused on the development of rural India and mainly of the farmers. Bhargawa invited the participants to visit the IFFCO headquarters.
NCCT, Secretary, Mohan Mishra called upon the participants to come to terms with the changing times by adapting themselves to e-learning. Participants should make their presence felt on social media and work together with their colleagues to meet the challenges. The schedule of the programme is so designed as to enable them to participate in the ICA A-P meeting slated for the year end where you will not only learn about stories of successful cooperatives but also be able to interact with foreign delegates, Mishra underlined.
NCCE Director Dr V K Dubey proposed a vote of thanks.
