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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: National Cooperative Policy 2025 — why it matters for UPSC exam
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget on the New National Cooperative Policy. (Relevance: Since 2025 is the International Year of Cooperatives as declared by the United Nations, the government initiative of introducing the New National Cooperatives Policy makes it an important topic for your examination. Also, in 2025, the UPSC prelims question was asked on the declared International Years.) On Thursday (24th July), the Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the new National Cooperative Policy 2025, replacing one in place for the past 23 years. It marked another milestone for the Ministry of Cooperatives, whose role has been expanding under the Narendra Modi government. The ministry said a new policy was needed because of globalisation and technological advancements in the past two decades. 1. The National Cooperative Policy will be effective from 2025 to 2045, i.e., approximately until the centenary of India's independence. Amit Shah said that the vision of the new cooperation policy is to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047 through 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi'. The policy is drafted by a 48-member committee led by Suresh Prabhu. 2. The policy defined the six pillars to achieve the set goals for the cooperative sector. These are: Strengthening the foundation, Promoting vibrancy, Preparing cooperative societies for the future, Enhancing inclusivity and expanding reach, Expanding into new sectors, and preparing the younger generation for cooperative development. 3. Notably, it is significant as the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives with the theme 'Cooperatives Build a Better World'. The launch of the International Year of Cooperatives was held in India in November 2024 — fittingly, as India has been taking the lead in promoting and strengthening cooperatives from the top levels of government since the new Ministry of Cooperation was formed in 2021. 4. The Ministry of Cooperation was formed as a separate ministry by the Modi government four years ago, with Shah given the charge of it. From 1979 till then, the cooperatives department fell under the Agriculture Ministry. 5. The new ministry, Sahkarita Mantralaya, was announced via a two-page notification in the official gazette, a day before Modi effected the biggest reshuffle of his second term, on July 7, 2021. Its vision was stated to be 'Sahakar se Samriddhi (Prosperity through Cooperation)'. 6. In the last four years, the ministry has seen several big initiatives, including the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2023, that ushered in three new cooperative bodies, including National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), with plans for 'the world's largest grain storage scheme' and two lakh new Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. The Model Cooperative Village initiative was also launched in Gandhinagar under the initiative of NABARD. 7. The formation of the NCEL has also opened up the export sector for cooperatives. Within months of its establishment, the NCEL received orders of rice and wheat from several countries, amounting to a total of Rs 5,000 crore. 8. Earlier this month, Shah laid the foundation stone of India's first national cooperative university, Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand, Gujarat, and advocated that cooperative education be included in the secondary school curricula. 1. The history of the cooperative sector dates back to before Independence, with a Cooperative Credit Societies Act enacted in 1904 after the recommendations of the Edward Law Committee. 2. Within a few years, there was an exponential expansion in the sector, with the number of societies registered under it increasing to 5,300 and their membership to over 3 lakh by 1911. 3. With the increase in the number of cooperatives, the Cooperative Societies Act of 1912 was enacted providing a basic framework for organisation of these cooperatives. This led to the constitution of the first Cooperative Housing Society, the Madras Cooperative Union, in 1914. 4. In the wake of the Banking crisis and the First World War, Maclagen Committee on Cooperation was constituted in 1914 to suggest on the state of credit cooperatives. 5. The Government of India Act 1919 transferred the operation as a subject to the provinces. The Bombay Cooperative Societies Act of 1925 became the first provincial act to be passed. 6. On December 14, 1946, eight months before the country got Independence, the Khera District Cooperative Milk Producers Milk Union, or Amul, was registered. After Independence, the cooperative sector retained a prominent place in the Five-Year Plans. 7. The milk cooperatives under the leadership of Verghese Kurien changed India's milk landscape from a highly deficit country to the world's largest producer of milk with 239 million tonnes, followed by the US at 103 million tonnes in 2023-24. 8. In 2002, when the NDA was in power under A B Vajpayee, the cooperative sector received a new focus, leading to the enactment of the National Cooperative Policy. Now, after 23 years, a new Cooperative Policy is being adopted. 1. Through the 97th constitutional amendment, Part IXB (The Co-Operative Societies) was inserted into the Constitution. The right to form cooperative societies was included as the Right to Freedom under Article 19 (1), Part-3 of the Constitution. 2. In addition to this, Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperative Societies) was also inserted as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part 4 of the Constitution of India. 3. Cooperatives are a state subject under the Constitution, meaning they come under the state governments' jurisdiction, but there are many societies whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state. For example, most sugar mills along the districts on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border procure cane from both states. The inter-state cooperatives are governed by the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. Cooperatives are organisations formed at the grassroots level by people to harness the power of collective bargaining in the marketplace. This can mean different kinds of arrangements, such as using a common resource or sharing capital, to derive a common gain that would otherwise be difficult for an individual producer to get. In agriculture, cooperative dairies, sugar mills, spinning mills etc. are formed with the pooled resources of farmers who wish to process their produce. The Cooperation Minister said that under PM Modi's leadership, the ministry has taken 60 initiatives. And all the initiatives are based on five Ps; 'People', 'PACS' (primary agriculture cooperative societies), 'Platform' (digital and national), 'Policy' and 'Prosperity'. The theme for the UN-declared 2025 International Year of Cooperatives is "Cooperatives Build a Better World". Consider the following pairs : How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All the four (Source: New cooperative policy after 23 yrs is one more leap for Amit Shah-led Cooperation Ministry, Embrace transparency, tech and member-centric approach: Amit Shah urges cooperative sector, In India's cooperative boom, women need to be at the centre, not the margins) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More


North Wales Live
17-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Dogs 'go mad' for natural 89p food that's 40% off and leaves bowls clean
Finding the perfect dog food that balances nutrition, taste, and health can be a challenge. Each dog is unique and therefore has different dietary requirements. While there are numerous brands available, Pure Pet Food offers a high-quality option that now comes with an attractive discount. The brand is currently giving new customers 40% off their first box and 15% off the following two. Pure Pet Food provides monthly dog food subscriptions delivered straight to the doorstep, with an extensive range including complete meals and scrumptious treats loaded with superfoods. It creates a bespoke menu for each dog, taking into account factors like age, weight, and health conditions, allowing customers to choose two personalised recipes per delivery. Each meal consists of natural ingredients, finely chopped to aid digestion, while the food is dehydrated to preserve all the essential nutrients. Pure Pet Food subscribers also enjoy several perks, including automatic entry into a monthly draw for a free month's supply of food, expert advice and surprise gifts included in their subscription, reports Wales Online. The product line includes chicken with garden greens and strawberry pieces, duck accompanied by a variety of vegetables and blueberries, herring, salmon, lamb, turkey and game. It also caters to dogs with specific needs, offering options for general diets, sensitive stomachs and renal-related diets. Pure Pet Food isn't the only brand on the market, with Years also offering personalised dog meals starting from £7. Its offerings include fresh wholefood meals, breed-specific health supplements, probiotics, and prebiotics. Another option is The Farmer's Dog, which provides gently cooked fresh food designed by board-certified nutritionists and are made from real ingredients, vet-approved and meet human-grade safety standards. But Pure Pet Food boasts an impressive 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot from more than 11,000 reviews. One happy customer said: "I have three super energetic pups and they purely and simply go mad for it." Another said: "The interest shown in the needs of the individual dog and guidance on which food would suit them is impressive." A third satisfied shopper said: "Brilliant food, superb customer service, dogs love it, clean bowls, easy to make up. What is there not to like? Excellent product for allergies, firm poops and lots of flavours." However, not everyone was as thrilled, as one subscriber said: "On this occasion, the delivery has been incredibly poor. The parcel arrived a day late, which has resulted in us having to buy store food. This sudden change in food type could cause an upset stomach." Another said: "I really wanted my dog to like this food after reading all the reviews, and the quality of the food is just the best, but sadly, he didn't like it, so now we have bags of food just sitting there."


Rakyat Post
16-07-2025
- Business
- Rakyat Post
Robert Kuok's Daughter Takes Over as Shangri-La Asia CEO With RM312,000 Monthly Base Salary
Subscribe to our FREE Kuok Hui Kwong, daughter of business tycoon Tan Sri Robert Kuok, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Asia, effective 1 August. The 47-year-old, the sixth of Kuok's eight children, has been working at the hotel company for years. She joined the company as an executive director in June 2016 and has served as chairman since January 2017. Shangri-La Asia The company believes this will help create better teamwork and clearer decision-making across all management levels. What the New Boss Will Earn Hui Kwong's monthly base salary will be HKD576,000 (approximately RM312,000) and will also be eligible for bonus payments and pension benefits. She owns about 95.57 million shares in Shangri-La Asia, The company's remuneration committee sets her total compensation based on her performance and industry standards. The previous CEO, Lim Beng Chee, The Shangri-La Story: 53 Years of Growth Kuok, Malaysia's wealthiest person, started the Shangri-La Group in 1971. The first hotel opened in Singapore. Today, Shangri-La Asia operates more than 100 hotels worldwide, with the company owning 81 of these hotels directly. They operate under four main hotel brands: Shangri-La, Kerry, Hotel Jen, and Traders. The company is listed on both the Hong Kong and Singapore stock exchanges. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.


Daily Mirror
16-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Dog food monthly subscription creates 'tailored menu' to meet each pups needs
Pure Pet Food currently offers a discount which gives shoppers 40% off their first box and 15% off their next two Finding the perfect grub for each pooch that is nutritious, delicious and considers their health can be a bit of a challenge. Each dog is unique and thus has different dietary requirements. There's a plethora of brands to choose from, but if pet owners after top-notch quality and a bit of a saving, Pure Pet Food is currently offering a discount that gives customers 40% off their first box and 15% off their subsequent two. Pure Pet Food provides monthly dog food subscriptions delivered straight to each owners doorstep. There's a wide range of options available, from complete meals to scrumptious treats loaded with superfoods. The company crafts a bespoke menu for each dog based on factors such as age, weight, and health conditions, and customers can then pick two personalised recipes for each delivery, reports Wales Online. Each meal is crafted from natural ingredients, which are then diced to make it easier on each dog's digestive system. The food is also dehydrated to ensure all nutrients are safeguarded and preserved. Pure Pet Food members can also enjoy a host of perks, including automatic entry into a draw to win a free month's worth of food every month, expert advice, and surprise gifts through the subscription. Some of the offerings include chicken with garden greens and strawberry pieces, duck with a medley of veggies and blueberries, herring, salmon, lamb, turkey, and game. There are also options tailored for general dogs, those with sensitive stomachs, and renal, relating to the kidneys. If owners don't think their pooch will perk up their ears at this brand, there's a pack of others waiting in the wings. Take Years, for instance, dishing out custom doggy dinners starting at £7. Years is all about fresh, wholefood meals tailored to breed health, with added bonuses like supplements, probiotics, and prebiotics. Another option is The Farmer's Dog, rustling up gently cooked fresh grub that's been given the nod by board-certified nutritionists. It's vet-approved and meets human-grade safety standards. Pure Pet Food has a stellar 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot, backed by more than 11,000 reviews. One customer said: "I have three super energetic pups and they purely and simply go mad for it." "The interest shown in the needs of the individual dog and guidance on which food would suit them is impressive," praised another buyer. An additional shopper commented: "Brilliant food, superb customer service, dogs love it, clean bowls, easy to make up. What is there not to like? Excellent product for allergies, firm poops and lots of flavours." But not everyone's wagging their tails in approval. Another subscriber reported: "On this occasion, the delivery has been incredibly poor. The parcel arrived a day late, which has resulted in us having to buy store food. This sudden change in food type could cause an upset stomach. Another pet owner concluded: "I really wanted my dog to like this food after reading all the reviews, and the quality of the food is just the best, but sadly, he didn't like it, so now we have bags of food just sitting there."


Extra.ie
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Why multiple Sam Maguires now look inevitable for Tyrone
Whatever the outcome in Croke Park tomorrow evening, be certain that Tyrone are going nowhere. The profile of the senior squad is encouraging and it is in the care of a smart manager. But the real reason for optimism among Tyrone supporters relates to their underage success. It has been so consistently bountiful that multiple Sam Maguires look inevitable — and that's allowing for the notoriously tenuous connections between underage talent and senior delivery. Last week's minor final win over Kerry confirmed Tyrone as champions in the two prestige underage competitions this season, following their Under 20 triumph over Louth in May (they beat Kerry in the semi-final en route to that title, after defeating them in last year's decider at the same grade. Tyrone stalk the Kingdom far beyond the senior grade). The Tyrone team celebrate with the cup after the Electric Ireland GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship final match between Kerry and Tyrone at Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge, Kildare. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile It was their fourth minor title in 15 years and their sixth since 2001. They have won three of the last four U20 titles as well, while also winning it in 2001, making them only the second county to do the underage double twice. And that matters because history shows us that the years immediately after these doubles invariably bring senior success. The first county to do it was Kerry in 1975, and thereafter dawned the Golden Years. Cork did it in 1981, and by the end of that decade, they were on their way to winning back-to-back All-Irelands. Then came Tyrone's double in 2001, before Dublin did it in 2012 — a year before Jim Gavin started building the greatest team of all time. Tyrone's Eoin McElholm celebrates scoring a late point. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie The one exception is, fittingly, Cork: they did it in 2019 but never got the dividend at senior level. That's as much about coaching and development structures within a county currently trying to correct generations of drift when it comes to football. But where the proper support is in place, prepared counties reap the bounty from a gush of success like the one the Red Hand County have enjoyed this season. Jack O'Connor, steeped in the schools and underage game himself, was aware of what Tyrone are building when he spoke before tomorrow's game. 'They have really good structures and really good people involved in coaching in the schools,' he said. David Clifford of Kerry celebrates with manager Jack O'Connor after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Armagh and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 'I'm not saying there are not good people involved in the schools down here but that's what it comes down to, it comes down to the quality of the people involved in coaching.' Mention of schools is pertinent, too: Omagh CBS have won two of the last three Hogan Cups, the prestigious senior schools competition. Tyrone also won last week's minor decider without the prodigious Joel Kerr, who signed for West Ham United on a contract that began on July 1. Negotiations to release him didn't get anywhere, but he wasn't required in the end, as they held out in a gripping finale. There was an expectation at the start of that season that Malachy O'Rourke, in his first season in charge, would feed through the produce of some of recent U20 triumphs, but the age-old mistake of throwing young players in en masse has been avoided. Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke after his side's victory in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Dublin and Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile There's a long and inglorious history of counties trying to fasttrack underage winners into senior football in bulk, and the challenge is simply too great. Eoin McElholm, Shea O'Hare and Seánie McDonnell, the latter with two goals in the win against Donegal in Ballybofey, have been the stand- out graduates. McElholm is a tremendous talent who is being used with deliberate care. The way he blitzed Ciarán Kilkenny to score a late point in Tyrone's quarter-final win was heralded as generational change in real time, with one of the true modern greats beaten by a coming talent. Kilkenny (a star on the All-Ireland-winning 2012 U21 team) has nothing left to prove in the game, but that cameo did vividly illustrate the potency of youth. Tyrone have already had a micro-taste of the effects of underage success recently. Joel Kerr of Tyrone during the Electric Ireland GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship semi-final match between Tyrone and Roscommon at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile They won an U20 title in 2015, and Kieran McGeary, Pádraig Hampsey, Rory Brennan, Conor Meyler, Frank Burns and Mark Bradley all enjoyed senior success in 2021. That final was against the head, coming in the second Covid season and in a knock-out championship. In keeping with the spectral feel of those years, that Tyrone side dissolved. Key components of it remain, not least many of the names mentioned above, as well as an imposing midfield, but there was no sense at the time that this was a generational force emerging. Subsequent events proved that instinct correct. The rise of Derry and the enduring competitiveness of Armagh meant Ulster remained fraught for them in the years after the 2021 win, while the stroke suffered by joint manager Fergal Logan in early 2024 was another serious complication. If there was enough residual talent left in that group to convince O'Rourke of the potential for success, the other clear calculation was around what is coming through from the minor and U20 ranks. Pádraig Hampsey of Tyrone during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Dublin and Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile Yet the manager has, in public at least, been keen to set that talent against the greater need for application. Some might suggest that's in keeping with O'Rourke's tradition of well-drilled teams, but it's also likely to be about tempering expectations around what remains, at senior level, mostly potential. 'There's no doubt there's a lot of talent there because they obviously had great underage success, but I suppose I've said to them and everyone else that talent only gets you so far,' he said earlier this season. 'It's about working really hard, it's about maximising what you have and it's about learning to work really hard as a team. Shea O'Hare of Tyrone during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 2 match between Tyrone and Mayo at O'Neills Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 'I think that's the process we're going through and trying to make sure that we do that. 'There's no doubt there is a lot of really good players there. There's good experience there as well, there are lads who have been there a number of years who have had success at the top level, and then there are lads in between as well. 'But we're just concentrating very much in the short term.' That has been his challenge this year. Tyrone were flagged from his appointment as contenders for the All-Ireland, and have duly arrived in Croke Park in mid-July. Tyrone supporters are used to success and want more of it. Sporting wisdom has it that the only competition to target is the next one, so potential won't figure much in Red Hand discussions on the way to Dublin tomorrow. But Tyrone are coming down with it. No county looks better equipped to compete in the coming seasons — and some of their promising youths could yet tilt tomorrow their way.