The Ministry of Cooperation, Govt. of India has massive plans to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives-2025 to showcase the enduring impact of cooperatives in India. This initiative aligns with the United Nations General Assembly’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives under the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”
Earlier in November, 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, emphasizing the pivotal role of cooperatives in creating a better world.
Strategic Vision for IYC-2025
The Ministry has constituted a national committee, IYC National Cooperative Committee (IYC – NCC), under the chairmanship of Secretary (Cooperation) comprising senior officials from the Ministry, Chairmen/Presidents of National Cooperative Federations and other major cooperatives.
The committee is tasked with designing a comprehensive strategic plan for the year-long celebration, setting clear objectives, goals, and timelines to ensure lasting benefits for the cooperative movement. Key priorities include developing a robust annual calendar of activities for national cooperative federations and Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS).
The Ministry is also seizing the opportunity to transform the national cooperative federations and MSCS through various activities and events.
High-Level Oversight and Monitoring
It is understood that Amit Shah, Union Home and Cooperation Minister is closely monitoring the IYC-2025 activities and its expected outcome in terms of better operational efficiency of the cooperative societies. His involvement underscores the government’s commitment to leveraging this global initiative to strengthen India’s cooperative ecosystem.
At the inaugural meeting of the IYC-NCC, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary (Cooperation), urged national cooperative federations to benchmark their current performance and set progressive targets.
Each federation is expected to develop an event calendar and chart its path for growth, identifying measurable outcomes to be achieved by the end of 2025.
The federations have been asked to clearly show where they are at present and where they want to be in December, 2025 when the International Year of Cooperatives ends. Incidentally, the IYC National Committee will also function upto 31st December, 2025.
The Ministry has also constituted the IYC-National Executive Committee (NEC) to operationalize the action plan, define responsibilities, and ensure active participation from youth and women.
Nationwide Events and Activities
The ministry of cooperation, national cooperative federations and other cooperative societies shall organize a series of mega-events and grassroots-level activities throughout the year to celebrate IYC-2025. These events aim to:
- Highlight the enduring contributions of cooperatives to India’s socio-economic development.
- Foster youth and women’s participation in cooperative initiatives, ensuring inclusivity and sustainability.
- Enhance operational efficiency and governance across cooperative societies.
- Encourage transparency, accountability, and policy reforms within cooperatives.
Overall, the Ministry of Cooperation’s grand plans for IYC-2025 clearly showcase its commitment to the growth of cooperative business model in the country. Read more about International Year of Cooperatives-2025.
