Lok Sabha Question No. 1870 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-11
Subject: Institute of Rural Management Anand
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Sudheer Gupta, Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1870 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  MARCH, 2025

## Institute of Rural Management Anand

## 1870. Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane: Shri Sudheer Gupta:

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  establish  Institute  of  Rural  Management  Anand (IRMA) as a specialized National Cooperative University, the first of its kind in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives thereto;

(c) the salient features of establishment of the said university;

(d) whether the Government proposes to open more such cooperative universities in the other parts of the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and

(e)  the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  impart  and promote  cooperative education, training  and  research  and  development  for  strengthening  the  cooperative  movement  in  the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a): Yes, sir

(b): The aim & objective of the proposed University are to impart technical and management education to provide qualified and trained manpower to meet the present and future needs of the cooperative sector, to build capacity including skill development of employees and board members  of  cooperatives,  to  promote  cooperative  research  and  development  and  to  attain standards of global excellence therein in order to realise the vision of 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi' and to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country through a network of institutions.

(c): Salient features of the proposed University are as under -

- (i) The proposed University will have a Governing Board at the Apex, headed by the Chancellor.  There  will  be  an  Executive  Council,  headed  by  the  Vice-Chancellor, which will be the principal executive body of the university. The other authorities of

the university will include eight principal bodies, namely, Academic and Research Council, Executive Board of IRMA School, Capacity Building Council, Assessment and Improvement Council, Research and Development Council, Board for Affiliation and Recognition, the Finance Committee and Board of Cooperative Studies of each school. All these bodies will work under the supervision and control of the Executive Council.

- (ii) The proposed University will establish sector-specific schools such as dairy, fishery, rural credit, cooperative finance, etc. Each school will be headed by the Dean who will be principal academic and administrative officer for that School. Each school will also have a Board of Cooperative Studies, chaired by the Dean.
- (iii) The proposed University will also leverage mass e-learning platform and technology to impart education and training.
- (iv) The  proposed  University  will  act  as  an  apex  body  to  integrate,  coordinate,  and standardise the academic and research activities of affiliated cooperative institutes and training centres

(d): No such proposal is under consideration.

(e): After creation of the Ministry of Cooperation, the Government has taken several steps for strengthening  the  cooperative  movement  in  the  country.  These  include  measures  taken  to impart and promote cooperative education, training and Research and Development, through National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT).

The Ministry has widened the role of NCCT and apart from regular education & training program like Higher Diploma in Cooperative Management, MBA etc, it has assigned more responsibilities like preparing case studies, conducting research & development in the domain of  cooperatives.  It  is  also  conducting  cooperative  awareness  programmes  at  village  level (scaling up) to bring awareness among cooperative societies about the various initiatives taken by the Government and Ministry of Cooperation for strengthening of cooperative movement in the country, about Government schemes beneficial for the cooperatives and procedure to avail financial assistance available under those schemes.

NCCT has worked for capacity building of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) as Common Services Centre (CSC) to enable them to offer 300 e-services for the benefit of rural citizens.  The  project  was  started  on  18.06.2024  and  ended  on  30.11.2024  under  which Secretaries of 30134 PACS across the country were imparted training in the areas of effective utilization of CSC services by PACS and its members.

*****