In a significant move towards digital empowerment and cooperative sector reform, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, inaugurated the National Cooperative Database in New Delhi and unveiled the ‘National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report’. This initiative marks a major step in the modernization of the cooperative sector, with Shah revealing that all Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across India have been fully computerized in the last two years, aligning with standardized bylaws for enhanced operational efficiency.
Highlighting the transformative impact of PACS computerization, Shah expressed optimism about the future, announcing ambitious plans to establish a PACS in every village by 2027. The newly launched database aims to meticulously analyze the sector to identify and bridge developmental gaps, steering the cooperative movement in a strategic direction akin to a navigational compass.
Shah emphasized the pivotal role of the cooperative database in broadening the scope of cooperatives through digitization and data-driven strategies. He elaborated on the contemporary trend of data governance, proactive governance, and anticipatory governance, underscoring their collective contribution to forging a new development paradigm within the cooperative sector.
The development of the National Cooperative Database has been methodically executed in three phases, starting with the mapping of around 2.64 lakh societies across PACS, dairy, and fisheries sectors. In the second phase, data from various National Federations, State Federations, State Cooperative Banks (StCB), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCB), Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB), State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDB), Primary Agricultural and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB), cooperative sugar mills, district unions, and Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) were collected/mapped. In the third phase, data mapping of all the remaining 8 lakh primary cooperative societies in other sectors was carried out.
This extensive database connects over 30 crore citizens through various cooperative societies, facilitating seamless integration from local to global cooperative networks.
