Q.'The task of educating ordinary members and giving basic training to the staff of small societies is carried out at the local level.' Explain this with reference to district co-operative boards and co-operative training colleges.

Education and training only matter if they reach ordinary members and small-society staff, and that reaching is done at the district and local level.

Education and training are of no real use unless they actually reach the ordinary member and the working staff of the many small societies spread across a state. This 'reaching' is the task of the bodies at the lowest tier of the structure — the district co-operative boards and the co-operative training colleges/centres.

District co-operative (education) boards. Working under 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 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 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, these institutions (including the state and regional institutes of co-operative management under the NCCT) provide more formal training:

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