Do you think that the cooperative sector has suffered due to a lack of democratic spirit and skewed geographical penetration? Argue your case with suitable examples.

1. Community led growth (Grassroot empowerment)
2. Bargaining Power ↑↑
3. Democratisation (Internal Management)
4. Economics of Scale (Resource Optimisation)
5. Inclusive Growth → Financial/Social
6. Participatory Democracy

ISSUES :

Amidst a number of challenges such as overregulation, complexity, lack of professionalism, resource constraint, perhaps the most concerning are democratic decay and regional disparities.

1. Democratic Decay ↳ Attacks the very foundational principle of democracy and co-operatives ↳ Majority don't hold periodic elections ↳ If held, idle members don't vote or proxy votes are used to render it a formality ↳ Vested interests and dominant members monopolize.

→ Politicization of Cooperatives ↳ leads to diversion from objectives

1. Regional Disparities : ↳ Agriculture related cooperatives are primarily concentrated in West UP, Punjab, Haryana ↳ These are regions which flourished during Green Revolution.

→ Marketing Cooperatives are concentrated around Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka due to milk and sugarcane.

These regional disparities render the objective of inclusivity and democratisation useless. (eg. Almost none in N.E India)

Suggestions :

Cooperatives hold immense potential in realising the dream of rural development which is the backbone of our development.

(1) "Sahkaar Se Samriddhi" → harnessing the unifying potential of Ministry of Cooperation.

(2) Fiscal Autonomy.

(3) Implementation of National Policy on Co-operatives, 2002.

(4) Elections and Auditing at regular intervals via independent body.