🎯 Schemes & WelfareMAINS · GS2.10 · GS3.4

On its 5th Foundation Day, the Cooperation Ministry pushes 50,000 e-PACS and new grain godowns

Marking five years since the Ministry of Cooperation was created (6 July 2021), Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is set to launch a clutch of initiatives at Bharat Mandapam — from computerising 50,000 PACS and new grain-storage godowns to digital tools for urban cooperative banks — under 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'.

What happened

Ahead of the Ministry of Cooperation's 5th Foundation Day on 6 July 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Home & Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah is set to launch several initiatives under 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'.
The Ministry — created on 6 July 2021 — will push the transformation of 50,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into computerised e-PACS.
Under the World's Largest Grain Storage Scheme, godowns will be added: 135 transferred, 85 inaugurated and foundation stones laid for 47.
For Urban Cooperative Banks, two NUCFDC digital platforms — 'Sahakar CBS' (centralised core banking) and 'Sahakar Sahyogi' (AI-powered) — are to be launched.
Other launches include the Bhoomi Pujan of 'Sahakar Van' (a 64-acre afforestation project by Amul and NCCF), NCD 3.0 with a geo-tag app, NDDB's milk dashboard, new multi-state cooperative societies and an MoU between BBSSL and ICAR.

For Prelims

Ministry of Cooperation: Created on 6 July 2021 (carved out of the Agriculture Ministry) with the vision 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'; Shri Amit Shah is the first Cooperation Minister.
PACS / e-PACS: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies are the village-level base of the three-tier short-term cooperative credit structure (PACS → DCCB → State Cooperative Bank); e-PACS are computerised PACS.
NUCFDC: The National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation — the umbrella body for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).
BBSSL, NCOL, NCEL: The three national multi-state cooperative societies set up in 2023 for seeds (BBSSL), organics (NCOL) and exports (NCEL); BBSSL now signs an MoU with ICAR.
NDDB & Amul: The National Dairy Development Board (Anand) built the Amul/Operation Flood cooperative dairy model; NCCF is the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation.
World's Largest Grain Storage Scheme: A plan to create decentralised godowns/storage at the PACS level, linking cooperatives to the food-security supply chain.
Don't confuse: e-PACS (computerised village credit societies) are distinct from UCBs; and the 97th Constitutional Amendment (2011) gave cooperatives constitutional recognition (Part IXB, Article 43B).

For UPSC: Frame the Cooperation Ministry's five-year record as institution-building for a 'cooperative economy' — digitising 50,000 PACS, decentralised grain storage, multi-state seed/organic/export societies and core-banking for UCBs, all under 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'. Anchor the three-tier cooperative credit structure, the 97th Amendment (Article 43B, Part IXB), PACS diversification, and cooperatives as vehicles of rural livelihoods, farmer incomes and grassroots democracy.

What it is NOT: This is an event advisory of initiatives to be launched on the Foundation Day, not a single new scheme. The godown figures are itemised as 135 transferred + 85 inaugurated + 47 foundation stones (the release also cites a headline count) — treat the itemised breakdown as authoritative. The Ministry was created in 2021, so this marks its fifth year, not a new ministry.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS2.10 · GS3.4 · Linkage L2

Anchor

Strengthening the cooperative sector as a third pillar of the economy — digitising and diversifying grassroots institutions to deepen rural livelihoods and food-supply resilience.

Substantiation (data)

Ministry of Cooperation's 5th Foundation Day (created 6 July 2021): 50,000 PACS to become e-PACS; grain godowns (135 transferred, 85 inaugurated, 47 foundation stones); NUCFDC's Sahakar CBS and AI 'Sahakar Sahyogi' for UCBs; Sahakar Van (64 acres, Amul-NCCF); NCD 3.0; BBSSL-ICAR MoU.

Exemplification

Concrete instruments — computerised PACS, decentralised godowns, multi-state seed/dairy/Gomay societies and core banking for urban cooperative banks — operationalising 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'.

Problematisation

Cooperatives face governance and audit weaknesses, political capture, regional unevenness and thin professional capacity; digitisation and viability of small PACS remain works in progress.

Way-forward

Complete PACS computerisation and diversification, professionalise governance and audit, integrate cooperatives with storage/market/credit chains, and build member-driven accountability.

Position

Government stance: a vibrant, transparent and digitised cooperative sector is central to inclusive rural prosperity — 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'.

Deploys into: Government policies for the cooperative sector (GS2.10 government policies & interventions) · agriculture, grain storage & the dairy value chain (GS3.4 agriculture, storage & marketing) · PACS/e-PACS, the three-tier cooperative credit structure, the 97th Amendment and multi-state cooperative societies.

Ministry of Cooperation · 2026-07-05 · PRID 2281327 · PIB source ↗