Industry-Academia Linkage for Cooperatives

Industry-university linkages for cooperative societies are ensured through the continued engagement of industry experts and professionals in the various training, outreach and other academic programs managed by the NCCT (National Council for Cooperative Training), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Cooperation.

The industry-academia linkage in training programs is built through an institutional Program Advisory Committee (PAC) mechanism in NCCT’s 19 regional and state institutes. The PAC is headed by the chancellor of cooperative societies of the concerned state, and other members of the PAC include general managers of state cooperative federations/unions, directors of industries, handlooms, fisheries, agriculture of the concerned state, industry sector experts, etc.

In addition, seminars/webinars with industry/sector experts, lectures by professionals, industry exhibition visits and internships are organized on a regular basis to further strengthen the industry-academia partnership in the cooperative sector.

NCCT in cooperation with NABARD, SOFTCOB Scheme (Scheme of Financial Assistance for Training of Cooperative Banks Personnel) conducted 690 training programs between 2020-21 and 2022-23 for 20,955 participants, who are mainly farmers, to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and other primary cooperative societies. Additionally, NCCT also conducted 2342 training/awareness programs between 2020-21 and 2022-23 for 1,61,043 farmers in rural areas.

Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah said in a written response to a question in today’s Lok Sabha.

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