Topic: Cooperative Sector in Indian Agriculture (భారత వ్యవసాయ రంగంలో సహకార వ్యవస్థ)
1. Introduction & Context:
* Follow-up to previous topics: Agricultural Price Policy, Agricultural Credit, NABARD.
* Focus: The Cooperative Sector (సహకార రంగం / వ్యవస్థ) as a supplement heading under Indian Agriculture.
* Importance: Played a key role in agricultural development, especially until the year 2000.
2. Origins and Early Legislation:
* British India Context:
* Famine Commission (కరువు కాటకాల సంఘం): Established in 1901.
* Chaired by McDonald (also known as the McDonald Committee).
* Based on its 1901 report/recommendations.
* Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904 (సహకార పరపతి సంఘాల చట్టం, 1904):
* Crucial Act - Frequently asked in exams.
* Enacted based on the Famine Commission's recommendation.
* Purpose: To establish Cooperative Credit Societies (పరపతి సంఘాలు - focused solely on credit).
* Intended Structure: National, State, District, Mandal levels.
3. Evolution of Cooperative Legislation & Scope:
* Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 (సహకార సంఘాల చట్టం, 1912):
* Key Difference from 1904 Act: Allowed for the formation of Cooperative Societies (సంఘాలు) beyond just credit (e.g., marketing, production, consumer societies).
* The 1904 Act was only for credit societies; the 1912 Act was broader.
* Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919:
* Transferred 'Cooperation' to the Provincial (State) list.
* Allowed provinces to enact their own cooperative laws.
* Provincial/State Acts:
* Bombay Presidency: First to enact its own Act in 1925.
* Madras Presidency & Hyderabad State: Enacted Acts in 1932.
* Madras Act amended in 1934.
* Hyderabad Act amended in 1952.
* United Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1964:
* Integrated the cooperative laws of the Andhra (from Madras) and Telangana (from Hyderabad) regions after the state's formation.
4. Milestones and Establishment:
* First Cooperative Credit Society (based on 1904 Act): Established in Karnataka (around 1910, as per lecture).
* First Cooperative Society (general, likely post-1912 Act): Karnataka (1915), United AP (1920 near Vijayawada).
* First Cooperative Credit Society in United AP region: Gudlavalleru, Krishna District (1918), initiated by Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
5. Principles and Purpose of Cooperatives:
* Motto: "One for all, all for one" (ఒకరి కోసం అందరూ, అందరం కోసం ఒకరు).
* Based on mutual aid and cooperation (సహకార ప్రాతిపదిక).
* Aimed at developing sectors/communities, especially backward ones, by enabling self-help.
* Comparison: Different from purely profit-driven commercial banks; existed before RRBs significantly entered rural credit.
6. Examples and Applications:
* Women's Cooperatives: (e.g., Stree Nidhi Bank in Telangana) - Provide credit for self-employment, skill development, low interest rates.
* Dairy Cooperatives: Collective milk collection, processing, marketing, price setting, access to veterinary services, breed improvement, loans.
* Other Types: Urban Cooperatives, Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives (NAFED, MARKFED mentioned in relation to previous topics), Fisheries Cooperatives, Sugar Cooperatives etc.
7. Structure of Cooperative Credit System (Short/Medium Term):
* Generally a Three-Tier Structure:
* Village/Mandal Level: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS - పాక్స్).
* District Level: District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs).
* State Level: State Cooperative Bank (SCB / Apex Bank - e.g., APCOB, TSCAB).
* Statistics (as mentioned in lecture):
* SCBs: ~34 (covering States/UTs). SCB is the apex institution for cooperative credit in a state.
* DCCBs: ~351 nationwide (Highest: UP, Lowest: HP). Telangana: 9, AP: 13.
* PACS: ~1,02,000+ nationwide (Highest: UP, Lowest: Goa). Telangana: ~818, AP: ~584.
8. Key Reforms & Developments:
* Single Window System (ఏక గవాక్ష విధానము):
* Problem Addressed: Previously separate structures for Short/Medium-term loans (PACS/DCCB/SCB) and Long-term loans (Land Development Banks/Land Mortgage Banks - PLDB/SLDB/CARD Banks).
* Committee: Recommended by Mohan Kanda Committee.
* Introduced: 1987 (First in United AP).
* Mechanism: Merged the long-term credit delivery structure into the short/medium-term structure. Farmers could get all types of cooperative loans from a single point (PACS).
* APMACS (Andhra Pradesh Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies):
* Based on Brahma Prakash Committee recommendations.
* Established around 1995 (idea discussed from 1991).
* Purpose: To coordinate and regulate various types of cooperative societies within the state under a unified framework.
* Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002:
* To govern cooperatives operating in more than one state.
* Context: Enacted partly in response to the weakening/decline of the cooperative movement post-2000.
9. Decline and Challenges:
* Cooperative movement started facing a decline after 2000.
* Reasons cited: Reduced member participation, loss of trust.
* Shift in Agricultural Lending: Before 2000, cooperatives were dominant; post-2000, Commercial Banks became the largest lenders to agriculture. (Ref. 2011 Group II exam question mentioned).
10. Current Status & Separation:
* APCOB & TSCAB: After bifurcation, the State Cooperative Bank was split. Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (APCOB) and Telangana State Cooperative Bank (TSCAB) formed (officially separated around March 2015).
Key Takeaways for Exams:
* Know the 1904 and 1912 Acts and their differences.
* Remember the Famine Commission / McDonald Committee link to the 1904 Act.
* Understand the Single Window System, its purpose, committee (Mohan Kanda), and year (1987).
* Be aware of the three-tier structure (PACS, DCCB, SCB).
* Note the decline post-2000 and the shift in lending dominance to commercial banks.
* Remember the first state to enact its own law (Bombay, 1925) and the timeline for Madras/Hyderabad (1932) and United AP (1964).
* APMACS and the Brahma Prakash Committee.
* Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
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