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Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday said the state will examine the feasibility of establishing a separate Cooperative University before taking a final decision.
Patil said that while the Centre has already set up a Ministry of Cooperation and launched initiatives, including a proposed Cooperative University under Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra also has institutions such as the Vaikunthbhai Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management working in this sector. The state, he said, will assess whether a separate cooperative university is necessary and viable.
He said, “Cooperation education helps in developing concepts, while implementation skills are built through training,” adding that the State Cooperative Federation should take a leading role in training programmes and seek a dedicated budget from the government.
He also indicated that the Cooperation commissioner should submit a proposal for a cooperative education fund. The government, he said, is considering support through the state budget and may introduce a nominal fee structure for training programmes, ensuring that profit-making cooperative institutions are not overburdened.
Patil said the issue of the education fund is likely to be taken up during the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature beginning June 12, and expressed optimism about a positive decision.
He also highlighted ongoing work in the cooperative sector, noting that around 12,000 development societies in the state have been computerised under a central scheme, with training for secretaries and online audits completed.
