District Co-operative Boards and Co-operative Training Colleges

7. District Co-operative Boards and Co-operative Training Colleges/Centres

Education and training only matter if they actually reach the ordinary member and the working staff of small societies scattered across a state. This is the task of the bodies at the lowest tier of the structure — the district co-operative boards and the co-operative training colleges and education centres.

District co-operative boards (district education boards). Working under the guidance of the state co-operative union, these boards operate at the district level and are the main agency for mass member-education. Their work includes:

• conducting member-education programmes for members of primary societies, so ordinary members understand their rights, duties and the co-operative way of working;
• organising short courses, camps, study circles and meetings at the taluka and village level;
• giving basic training to the secretaries, clerks and office-bearers of small societies in matters such as account-keeping, bye-laws and routine management;
• spreading co-operative awareness among the public and the youth in the district.

Co-operative training colleges and education centres. Alongside the boards, there are co-operative training colleges, institutes and education centres (including the state and regional institutes of co-operative management under the NCCT) that provide more formal training. Their work includes:

• certificate, diploma and higher courses in co-operation and co-operative management for those who wish to build a career in the sector;
• specialised training for particular kinds of personnel — for example, staff of co-operative banks, credit societies, marketing societies or sugar factories;
• refresher and orientation courses to keep serving personnel up to date with new laws and procedures. …