Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will launch the National Cooperative Database on Friday in New Delhi. He will also release the ‘National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report’.

Under the initiative, the Ministry of Cooperation has recognised the imperative need for a robust database to capture vital information about India’s vast cooperative sector. Collaborating with State Governments, National Federations, and stakeholders, a National Cooperative Database has been developed to foster a cooperative-centric economic model.

Around 1,400 participants including Secretaries and other senior officers of Central Ministries/Departments, Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries of Cooperation from States/UTs, RCS, Cooperative Societies, and Cooperative Federations/Unions across the country will attend the event.

A technical workshop will be organised in the forenoon session to brief and enlighten the participants about the use and application of the National Cooperative Database (NCD) and its potential to improve the cooperative landscape in India.

The data of cooperatives was collected on the National Cooperative Database in a phased manner from the various stakeholders. In the first phase, mapping of about 2.64 lakh primary cooperative societies of three sectors i.e. Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), Dairy and Fisheries was completed. In the second phase, data of various National Federations, State Federations, State cooperative banks (StCB), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (SCARDB), Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (PCARDB), Sugar Cooperative Mills, District Unions and Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) were collected/mapped. In the third phase, data of more than 5.3 lakh primary cooperative societies was mapped from all the remaining other sectors through the office of State/UTs RCS/DRCS offices.

The National Cooperative Database is a web-based digital dashboard wherein data of cooperative societies including National/State Federations have been captured. The data of cooperative societies have been entered and validated by States/ UTs nodal officials at RCS/ DRCS offices and data of federations have been provided by various national/state federations. The National Database has collected/mapped information of about 8 lakh cooperatives with collective membership of more than 29 crores spread across various sectors in the country. The information collected from cooperative societies are on various parameters such as their registered name, date, location, number of members, sectoral information, area of operation, economic activities, financial statements and status of audit.

The National Cooperative Database serves as a crucial tool for efficient communication between the Central Ministry, States/UTs, and Cooperative Societies, benefiting all stakeholders in the cooperative sector. Database provides comprehensive contact details for registered societies, facilitating smooth communication between government entities and these societies.

The launch of the National Cooperative Database will be a milestone in the cooperative sector, a government press note said on Thursday.

The growth of cooperatives in rural areas holds the promise of addressing economic, social, and community challenges, empowering individuals, alleviating poverty, and contributing to the overall well-being of rural communities. This initiative signifies a positive transformation at the grassroots level, aligning with the vision of a prosperous and ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’.