Srinagar, March 29: IFFCO welcomes the announcement of Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha and its subsequent approval by the lower house on 26th of March 2025. While announcing the bill Minister of Cooperation and Home Affairs Amit Shah said that after 75 years of independence, today the country is getting its first cooperative university. He said that this bill will strengthen the rural economy, develop the ecosystem of self-employment and small entrepreneurship, increase social inclusion and will increase opportunities to set new standards in innovation and research. He said that in a way, the whole country will get a new cooperative leadership inspired by the spirit of cooperation and equipped with modern education.
Dr. Udai Shanker Awasthi, Managing Director, IFFCO stated that, “I appreciate the Tribhuvan Cooperative University Bill 2025, a historic step for the pioneering development of cooperatives. The establishment of this university will bring a new revolution in the cooperative sector. I welcome this commendable step of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah ji. This is a very big step for Indian agriculture, farmers and rural development. This will further strengthen our villages.”
He said, Establishment of sector-specific schools across the country will help fertilizer cooperatives especially IFFCO, this will empower cooperatives with a new generation of professionals in the field of fertilizer cooperative management and marketing. Short-term courses for existing cooperative employees are a game-changer and a step which was never done at this scale. This university will also train the existing employees and cooperators making them for efficient being a great asset for the fraternity.
While expressing his appreciation for this step Dileep Sanghani, Chairman, IFFCO said, this step will ensure that seeds for the next generation of the cooperative leadership will be nurtured and cared for under a system which run by the cooperatives for the cooperatives. He expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji under whose guidance Shri Amit Shah Ji, the first Union Minister of Cooperation is working tirelessly with the motto of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. He said this is a historic step which will ensure development of the cooperative sector for years to come.
In view of the development and expansion of the cooperative sector, trained human resources are needed and Tribhuvan Sahkari University will work to fulfil this need. After the formation of a cooperative university, its diploma and degree holders will get jobs. Through this university, big contribution will be made to the domestic as well as global value chain. New age cooperative culture will also start from this university which will embody the spirit of professional management. A standardized curriculum will be development for this university under the guidance of the Ministry of Cooperation in consultation with cooperatives across the nation.
Professional management of the cooperatives through specialized courses in cooperative marketing will enable cooperatives to market their products at the global stage, this will ultimately improve the overall output and revenue of the cooperative sector with the spirit of ‘Local to Global’.
Cooperative principles and cooperative activities will be expanded. The cooperative sector will benefit from new technology, reaching out swathes of people who were left untouched by the cooperative sector. This will also strengthen the rural economy.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that the country’s first university dedicated to the cooperative sector will be built 75 years after independence and when it will have the capacity to diploma with graduation, degree or certificate every year to about 8 lakh candidates, there will be an infusion of new blood in the cooperative movement.
Director General of International Cooperative Alliance Shri Jeroen Douglas through a video messaged said that this a step which will not only strengthen the Indian Cooperative movement but through knowledge exchange and training programs this step will act as a cornerstone in the Global Cooperative movement and will add to its strength. He thanks the Indian Leadership for making this announcement this year i.e., 2025 which has been designated as Internation Year of Cooperatives by the United Nation.
IFFCO is ranked World’s No.1 Cooperative (with respect to ratio towards contribution to GDP) according to World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) Report published by EURCISE and International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the premier International cooperative body.
