'Sahkar-se-Samriddhi' is more than a slogan — critically evaluate India's cooperative sector reforms since the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021.

Created in July 2021 after nearly 75 years of cooperatives being governed only by State societies Acts, the Ministry of Cooperation has driven a dense reform agenda culminating in the National Cooperation Policy (NCP), 2025 [1]. The reforms have moved beyond sloganeering into institution-building, though outcomes remain uneven.

Achievements: from slogan to structure

• Policy architecture: NCP-2025, unveiled on 24 July 2025, sets 6 strategic pillars, 16 objectives and 83 recommendations over a ten-year horizon, targeting a tripling of the sector's economic contribution and 50 crore members [1][2].
• Digitisation: the PACS Computerisation Project now covers 79,630 PACS with an enhanced outlay of about ₹2,925 crore; more than 32,000 PACS have attained e-PACS status, curbing leakages in rural credit [3].
• Institutional deepening: new dairy and fishery cooperatives under White Revolution 2.0, the National Cooperative Database, and Tribhuvan Sahkari University address the sector's data and skill deficits [2][4].
• Participatory drafting: the Suresh Prabhu committee held 17 meetings and 4 regional workshops, incorporating hundreds of stakeholder suggestions [2].

Limitations: why the slogan is not yet a reality

• Federal friction: cooperatives remain a State subject (Entry 32); the Union can guide but not legislate for State societies, making the Centre–State coordination mandate of the new Policy Implementation and Monitoring Committee the real test [4].
• No dedicated funding: NCP-2025 carries no specific budgetary allocation, relying on convergence with existing schemes [1].
• Persisting structural weakness: regional concentration in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, dormant societies, politicised boards and thin professional management dilute member benefit.
• Inclusion gap: targeted outreach to women, small farmers, Dalits and Adivasis is stated in intent but is yet to translate into proportionate leadership representation [2].

The reforms have given cooperatives, for the first time, a dedicated ministry, a database and a decadal roadmap — a genuine advance over rhetoric. Realising 'Sahkar-se-Samriddhi' now depends on cooperative federalism in practice: State-level legal harmonisation, ring-fenced financing and professionalised, member-driven governance, aligning the movement with SDG-8 and the constitutional promise of economic justice.