NEW DELHI, MARCH 13, 2026: A national seminar on “Transparency and Purity in Elections of Multi-State Cooperative Societies” was organised at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi by the Cooperative Election Authority under the Ministry of Cooperation. The event brought together chairpersons, CEOs, board members of multi-state cooperative societies, election authorities, district magistrates, and senior officials from the Centre and States to deliberate on strengthening transparency and democratic practices in cooperative elections.
Addressing the seminar, Krishan Pal Gurjar highlighted that cooperative reforms introduced under the vision of Narendra Modi and the leadership of Amit Shah are aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and democratic governance within the cooperative sector. Key reforms under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023 include the establishment of an independent Cooperative Election Authority to ensure free, fair and timely elections and fixed tenures for boards of cooperative institutions.
The Minister noted that the Cooperative Election Authority has already conducted about 240 elections, with around 70 elections currently underway and approximately 130 more expected in the coming year. The reforms also promote inclusiveness through the reservation of seats for women and SC/ST members on the boards of multi-state cooperative societies. Participants discussed ways to strengthen electoral integrity, improve governance frameworks and enhance member participation. The seminar concluded with a collective resolve to reinforce democratic processes in cooperatives and advance the vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi and Viksit Bharat by 2047.
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