Why in news
- Union Ministry of Cooperation launched new women-centric cooperative initiatives, including the She-Mart retail network, in Kollam, Kerala.
Key terms
She-Mart
Cooperative retail outlet platform designed to market products made by women self-help groups and local entrepreneurs.
Sahkar se Samriddhi
National strategy to strengthen the cooperative movement through modernization, diversification, and rural credit integration.
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
Village-level grassroots cooperative credit institutions providing short-term agricultural loans to farmers.
Cooperative Federalism
Constitutional governance framework where Union and States collaborate in economic development and legislative execution.
What is the She-Mart Initiative?
- A retail enterprise network managed through cooperative societies aimed at marketing products manufactured by women self-help groups and primary cooperatives.
- Designed to integrate local women entrepreneurs into rural supply chains and formal credit architecture.
Cooperative Framework under Ministry of Cooperation
- Complements national efforts under 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' to computerise Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and diversify their operations.
- Leverages the historical cooperative base of regions like Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar in Kerala to scale community-driven enterprise.
Why it matters
- Promotes rural economic decentralisation and economic agency among rural women.
- Strengthens the multi-purpose functionality of primary level cooperative institutions.
Prelims facts
- Cooperation is a subject under the State List (List II) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Mains discussion
- Role of cooperatives in advancing rural women-led development and financial inclusion.
Source: PIB
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.