Author: SahkarNet

A Srinagar court has sentenced Muhammad Shafi Banday, former Managing Director of the J&K Cooperative Central Land Development Bank Ltd, to two years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 for forging his date of birth to unlawfully extend his tenure in service. The order was delivered by City Judge Srinagar, Abdul Bari, who found Banday guilty of manipulating his official records to remain in office beyond the permissible retirement age. According to the prosecution, the case dates back to October 15, 2012, when the Crime Branch Kashmir received a complaint alleging that Banday had falsified his date…

Date: 13–14 November 2025 Time: Full day Location: Moshi, Tanzania Organizer: Moshi Cooperative University in collaboration with Ius Cooperativum and the ICA Cooperative Law Committee (ICA-CLC). Brief Details: The global cooperative law fraternity is set to convene in Moshi, Tanzania, on 13–14 November 2025 for the 5th International Forum on Cooperative Law. The event will be hosted by Moshi Cooperative University, in collaboration with Ius Cooperativum and the ICA Cooperative Law Committee (ICA-CLC). With the theme “Cooperative Law and Sustainable Development: Past, Present and Future,” the Forum will delve into how evolving cooperative legal frameworks contribute to sustainable development, examined…

Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, chaired a review meeting yesterday to assess the progress and implementation of various cooperative sector initiatives across States and Union Territories. The meeting was attended virtually by senior representatives from different States and UTs. Also present were Shri Siddharth Jain and Shri Raman Kumar, Joint Secretaries, Ministry of Cooperation; Shri Kumar Ram Krishna, Director; and other senior officials of the Ministry. The discussion focused on strengthening coordination between the Centre and States to ensure timely and effective implementation of ongoing schemes. Shri Bansal emphasized the need for proactive monitoring, capacity building, and…

CoopKumbh2025 – International Conference of Urban Cooperative Credit Sector Date: 10-11 November 2025 Time: Full day Location: Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi Organizer: National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies Ltd. (NAFCUB) Brief Details: NAFCUB–COOPKUMBH 2025 is a premier international conference dedicated to advancing India’s Urban Cooperative Credit Sector through collaboration, innovation, and policy dialogue. Organized by the National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies (NAFCUB) under the aegis of the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, the event marks a major milestone in the cooperative banking landscape. In alignment with the International Year of Cooperatives declared…

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed four key bills, including the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and revival of the cooperative movement in the Union Territory. Introduced by Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Cooperatives, the Bill seeks to update the J&K Cooperative Societies Act, 1989, aligning it with the present-day challenges and administrative requirements of the sector. During the debate, members across party lines underscored the need for greater transparency, oversight and institutional revival. MLA Narinder Singh called for a time-bound mechanism to address encroachments…

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has announced the appointment of Shri Dileep Sanghani, Chairman of IFFCO, as the Chair of its Committee on Cooperatives. The move reflects the Chamber’s growing recognition of the cooperative sector as a vital pillar in India’s economic and social architecture. His appointment signals a strategic shift within PHDCCI to mainstream cooperative enterprises in India’s broader business ecosystem. Over the years, cooperatives have played a transformative role in empowering farmers, enhancing rural incomes, and strengthening local economies. Yet, they have often operated in silos, away from the corporate mainstream. With the Centre’s renewed…

KOTTAYAM — In a major move set to redefine local self-governance finance, Kerala Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan today said that a new scheme will soon be implemented that would allow cooperative societies with surplus-fund to disburse loans for the development projects of local self-government institutions. Speaking at Vision 2031—a one-day seminar organized by the State government to chart the cooperative sector’s future—the Minister emphasized that meaningful local development could be achieved through stronger collaboration between local bodies and cooperative banks. He proposed granting local self-government institutions membership in cooperative banks, allowing them easier access to loans. By encouraging these institutions…

Once the backbone of India’s rural finance, cooperative banks today find themselves overshadowed by commercial and regional rural banks in the flow of agricultural credit. Over decades, their share in short-term farm lending has steadily declined—from about 65.93% in 1995–96 to 59.02% in 2021–22, according to NABARD’s Working Paper on Institutional Credit to Agriculture, 2022. This erosion is more than a statistical trend; it signals a weakening of grassroots financial institutions that were designed to empower farmers, especially small and marginal ones. Recognizing this drift, the Ministry of Cooperation (MoC) recently convened a meeting with NABARD to discuss the declining…

When Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated “Deep Sea Fishing Vessels” under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at Mazgaon Dock, Mumbai, it marked more than a maritime milestone — it signaled the beginning of a new cooperative-driven phase in India’s blue economy. A Vision Anchored in Cooperation The initiative represents a strategic blend of economic modernization and inclusive growth. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government aims to replicate the success of India’s dairy and sugar cooperatives in the fisheries sector. By transitioning fishermen from wage earners to cooperative shareholders, the model ensures…

दिल्ली के सहकारिता मंत्री रविंद्र इंद्राज सिंह ने राजधानी में सहकारी आंदोलन को नई ऊर्जा देने की घोषणा की है। उन्होंने बताया कि अब मंत्री, अधिकारी और कर्मचारी अपने खाते सहकारी बैंकों में खुलवाएंगे, ताकि इन बैंकों के प्रति विश्वास और सहभागिता का सशक्त संदेश दिया जा सके। हाल ही में दिल्ली नागरिक सहकारी बैंक की वार्षिक आम सभा में मुख्य अतिथि के रूप में संबोधित करते हुए मंत्री सिंह ने कहा कि सहकारिता केवल वित्तीय व्यवस्था नहीं, बल्कि सामाजिक एकता और सहभागिता का जीवन मंत्र है। उन्होंने कहा कि दिल्ली सरकार गृह मंत्री अमित शाह और मुख्यमंत्री रेखा गुप्ता…