Lok Sabha Question No. 1169 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-03
Subject: Success of the Sahakar Pragya Initiative
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1169 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 rd  December 2024

## Success of the Sahakar Pragya Initiative

## 1169.   Shri Anurag Singh Thakur:

Will the Minister of Cooperation ( सहकारिता मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

(a) the achievements of the Sahakar Pragya initiative in promoting cooperative education and skill development across the country;

- (b) the number of cooperative leaders trained and the regions benefitting most from this scheme;
- (c) the specific programs offered under Sahakar Pragya to improve operational and managerial skills in cooperatives; and

(d) whether any recent efforts have been made to increase engagement with smaller cooperative societies?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH)

(a) National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), a statutory corporation under the administrative control of Ministry of Cooperation, implements Sahakar Pragya initiative through Laxmanrao  Inamdar  National  Academy  for  Cooperative  Research  and  Development  (LINAC) which functions as the training, research and consultancy wing of NCDC. Sahakar Pragya, focuses on developing professionalism in primary cooperatives in agriculture and allied sectors. It designs and conducts need-based programmes for personnel of assisted cooperatives and its own officials. It  collaborates  with  Centre  for  International  Cooperation  in  Training  &  Agricultural  Banking (CICTAB), Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC) and other international agencies to conduct specialized programmes for co-operators in India  and  abroad  including  those  from  South  Asian  Association  for  Regional  Cooperation (SAARC) countries.

Year wise details  of  No.  of  Training  programs  conducted  under  Sahakar  Pragya  initiative,  in promoting cooperative education and skill development across the country, are as under:

| Year                 |   Training Programs conducted |
|----------------------|-------------------------------|
| 2018-19              |                            40 |
| 2019-20              |                            66 |
| 2020-21              |                           121 |
| 2021-22              |                           256 |
| 2022-23              |                           246 |
| 2023-24              |                           194 |
| 2024-25 (22.11.2024) |                           156 |
| Total                |                          1079 |

(b) Year  wise  details  of  No.  of  cooperators  benefitted  all  over  the  country  though  training conducted under Sahakar Pragya initiative, details are as under:

| Year                 |   Participants Benefitted |
|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 2018-19              |                      1227 |
| 2019-20              |                      1848 |
| 2020-21              |                      8076 |
| 2021-22              |                     19927 |
| 2022-23              |                     18364 |
| 2023-24              |                     11864 |
| 2024-25 (22.11.2024) |                     53546 |
| Total                |                    114852 |

(c): The specific programs offered under Sahakar Pragya to improve operational and managerial skills in cooperatives are as follows: -

- Training on Communication Skill
- Training on Presentation Skill
- Training on Understanding and Managing Skills for Better Work Performance
- Training on Extension and Guiding Skills for Milch Animal Development
- Training on Skills Clinic on Microsoft Office and Internet
- Training  on  Developing  Managerial  Skills  for  Agricultural  Cooperatives  and  Rural Financing Institutions
- Training on General Management in Primary Level Cooperatives
- Training on Accounts and Book-keeping in Primary Level Cooperatives
- Training on Business Development and Assets Management  for Primary Level Cooperatives
- Training  on  Role  of  Women  Directors  in  Governance  and  Business  Development  in Cooperatives/SHGs
- (d) The Government of India is actively enhancing engagement with smaller cooperative societies through  targeted  training  and  capacity-building  programs.  By  conducting  Training  Needs Analysis (TNA), programs are being tailored to address the  specific requirements of these cooperatives.

The focus is on imparting practical knowledge, introducing modern management practices, disseminating  information  about  various  Government  of  India  schemes,  and  providing guidance on leveraging digital platforms. These efforts aim to empower smaller cooperatives to operate efficiently and achieve sustainable growth.

Details  of  training  programs  conducted  to  increase  engagement  of  smaller  cooperative societies at ground level by LINAC - Regional Training Centres (RTCs) are as under:

| Year                 |   No of training programs conducted |
|----------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2019-20              |                                  19 |
| 2020-21              |                                  54 |
| 2021-22              |                                 159 |
| 2022-23              |                                 166 |
| 2023-24              |                                  98 |
| 2024-25 (22.11.2024) |                                  84 |
| Total                |                                 580 |

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