The Press Information Bureau said on 14 Jul 2026: Addressing the Convocation, Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Shri Murlidhar Mohol congratulated all degree recipients, their parents and the University family on his own behalf and on behalf of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah. He said that a convocation should not be regarded as the end of education. Convocation does not mean the conclusion of education; rather, it marks the beginning of initiation and the start of a new resolve. The students' formal education is being completed today, but a new journey in the real world of work is now beginning.
Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that 'Tribhuvan' Sahkari University has been established to develop trained, skilled and committed human resources for the cooperative sector. The University will prepare leaders, researchers and professional managers who will connect cooperation with modern management, technology and innovation and take India's cooperative movement to new heights. He said that the land of Anand is the birthplace of India's White Revolution. Inspired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Tribhuvandas Patel established the Kheda District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1946 and organised farmers, showing them the path to becoming the owners of their own produce. This institution subsequently evolved into Amul. Through the efforts of visionaries such as Tribhuvandas Patel and Dr. Verghese Kurien, India transformed from a milk-deficient country into the world's largest milk producer.
The Union Minister of State for Cooperation said that 'Tribhuvan' Sahkari University is built on the nearly 45-year rich academic and institutional legacy of the Institute of Rural Management Anand-IRMA. IRMA has made a significant contribution to research, training and policy formulation in the fields of cooperation, dairy and rural development. More than 18,000 persons have been trained through its over 850 Management Development Programmes. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, IRMA was accorded the status of an Institution of National Importance in 2025 and established as 'Tribhuvan' Sahkari University.
Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that the country today has more than 8.5 lakh cooperative societies, with over 32 crore members. This means that nearly half of the country's population is directly or indirectly connected with the cooperative sector. Cooperation has emerged as an effective means of empowering farmers, women, artisans and rural entrepreneurs in dairy, banking, agriculture, fisheries and several other sectors. He said that, recognising the potential of cooperation in the development of rural India, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi established an independent Ministry of Cooperation in July 2021 and appointed Shri Amit Shah, who has nearly four decades of experience in the cooperative sector, as the country's first Minister of Cooperation. Under the leadership of Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry has taken more than 140 important decisions during the past five years, giving fresh.
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Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that the National Cooperative Development Corporation-NCDC is a leading institution providing financial assistance to cooperative societies across the country. He said that from its establishment in 1963 until 2014, NCDC provided assistance of approximately Rs 55,000 crore to the cooperative sector, whereas under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, nearly Rs 4.5 lakh crore in financial assistance was provided during the 11 years from 2014 to 2025, giving unprecedented momentum to the expansion, modernisation and economic strengthening of cooperative institutions. He said that cooperation is no longer confined to traditional sectors such as dairy, sugar, fertilisers and banking. The cooperative model is expanding into several new areas, including organic farming, seed production, tourism, storage, insurance, food processing and digital.
The Union Minister of State for Cooperation said that Bharat Taxi, based on the concept of 'The Driver is the Owner', has presented a new model for the cooperative economy. This initiative is an important step towards treating service providers in the platform-based economy not merely as workers, but as partners and owners of the institution. The cooperative taxi service is planned to be expanded to nearly 500 cities across the country over the next two years.
