Topic 1: The National Cooperation Policy (NCP), 2025
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Context: The Ministry of Cooperation provided a comprehensive update on the National Cooperation Policy (NCP), 2025, which was launched on 24 July 2025 to fulfill the mandate of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).
Structure and Strategic Pillars of NCP 2025
The policy serves as a 10-year roadmap with 6 strategic pillars, 16 objectives, and 83 recommendations:
1. Strengthening the Foundation: Robust base for the movement.
2. Promoting Vibrancy: Creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.
3. Future-Ready Cooperatives: Professionalizing entities for global competition.
4. Inclusivity and Reach: Deepening the movement as a “people’s movement.”
5. Emerging Sectors: Expanding cooperatives into new-age technology and services.
6. Youth Engagement: Inspiring the next generation through experiential learning.
Transformative Initiatives for PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies)
Primary cooperatives are being reimagined as “Multipurpose entities”:
-
- Model Bye-Laws: Adopted by 32 States/UTs, allowing PACS to engage in 25+ activities including LPG distribution, petrol pumps, and Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
- World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan: Convergence of schemes (AIF, AMI, etc.) to build godowns at the PACS level. Construction is completed in 109 PACS (mostly in Rajasthan).
- Common Service Centers (CSCs): Over 52,000 PACS now provide 300+ e-services (banking, Aadhar, tickets) to rural citizens.
- PM Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras: 814 PACS are already functional as generic medicine stores.
- Energy Transition: Integration of PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar (Rooftop Solar) at the cooperative level.
Strengthening Cooperative Banking
Reforms aimed at bringing parity between cooperative and commercial banks:
-
- Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs):
- Allowed to open new branches (up to 15% of existing strength) without prior RBI approval.
- Priority Sector Lending (PSL) target reduced from 75% to 60% for operational flexibility.
- One-time settlement (OTS) allowed at par with commercial banks.
- Rural Cooperative Banks:
- Individual housing loan limits increased 2.5 times to ₹75 lakh.
- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme now includes rural cooperative banks for better grievance redressal.
- Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs):
New National Level Multi-State Societies
Three new apex societies have been established to scale up cooperative impact:
1. Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL): For certified seeds under the brand ‘Bharat Beej’.
2. National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL): Aggregation and marketing of organic products under “Bharat Organics”.
3. National Cooperative Export Ltd (NCEL): Has exported commodities worth ₹5,577.84 crore to 29 countries.
White Revolution 2.0 & Mobility
-
- White Revolution 2.0: Aims to increase milk procurement of dairy cooperatives by 50% over 5 years. 21,768 new Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) have been registered.
- Bharat Taxi: India’s first cooperative-led mobility platform, Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, is set to launch in February 2026.
Capacity Building: TSU University
-
- “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University (TSU): Established in April 2025 by converting the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) into an institution of national importance.
- Education: A special module on cooperatives is being introduced for Classes 6 to 10 in NCERT schools to build early awareness.
UPSC Prelims Fodder: Fact-Check
| Feature | Details |
| NCP 2025 | Unveiled on 24 July 2025; 6 pillars, 16 objectives. |
| Manthan Baithak | Meeting of Union & State Cooperation Ministers (held 17 Feb 2026). |
| Sahakar Sarathi | Shared Service Entity for technology in rural banks. |
| e-Samridhi | NAFED’s portal for pulse and maize farmer registration. |
| Income Tax Relief | Surcharge reduced (12% to 7%) and MAT reduced (18.5% to 15%) for cooperatives. |
Conclusion:
The National Cooperation Policy 2025 is not just about agriculture; it is a shift toward a Cooperative-led Economy.
Topic 2: Performance Analysis of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) 2024-25
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development, and employment; Government Budgeting.
Overview of CPSE Performance
The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, released the “Public Enterprises Survey 2024-25,” providing a comprehensive financial snapshot of India’s state-owned firms. The survey categorizes CPSEs into 226 profit-making and 63 loss-incurring operating units.
Financial Highlights (₹ in Lakhs)
| Parameter | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
| Grand Total Profit (Profit-making CPSEs) | 3,08,67,416 | 3,42,80,213 | 2,36,06,254 |
| Grand Total Loss (Loss-incurring CPSEs) | (18,05,497) | (20,25,469) | (18,92,586) |
Top Performing Cognate Groups (2024-25)
The performance varies significantly across different industrial and service sectors:
1. Coal: Remained a powerhouse with a sub-total profit of ₹50.76 lakh crore, led by Coal India Ltd. (₹17.01 lakh crore).
2. Financial Services: Contributed heavily with ₹49.06 lakh crore, driven by Power Finance Corporation (₹17.35 lakh crore) and REC Ltd. (₹15.71 lakh crore).
3. Crude Oil: Recorded a profit of ₹43.57 lakh crore, with ONGC leading at ₹35.61 lakh crore.
4. Power Generation: Maintained a strong footing at ₹36.22 lakh crore, with NTPC Ltd. being the highest earner in this group (₹19.64 lakh crore).
5. Petroleum (Refinery & Marketing): Despite a drop from the previous year, it posted ₹35.43 lakh crore, led by BPCL (₹13.27 lakh crore) and IOCL (₹12.96 lakh crore).
Major Loss-Incurring CPSEs
Total losses for the 63 underperforming units stood at ₹18.05 lakh crore, a slight improvement from the previous year’s ₹20.25 lakh crore.
-
- Telecommunication: Continues to be the most stressed sector. MTNL (₹3.32 lakh crore loss) and BSNL (₹2.24 lakh crore loss) account for the bulk of sectoral losses.
- Steel: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL) reported a massive loss of ₹1.38 lakh crore.
- Transport Services: Alliance Air Aviation Ltd. recorded a loss of ₹69,126 lakhs.
Institutional Reforms & Revival
The government adopts a multi-pronged strategy to manage CPSEs:
-
- Administrative Control: CPSEs function under their respective administrative Ministries, which are responsible for enterprise-specific measures.
- Restructuring & Revival: The respective Boards of CPSEs, in coordination with Ministries, undertake financial restructuring or revival packages based on extant policies.
- Professionalization: Use of specialized management and technology to turn around loss-making units, especially in the manufacturing and engineering cognate groups.
UPSC Prelims Fodder: Fact-Check
| Feature | Details |
| Nodal Body | Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance (MoF). |
| Survey Name | Public Enterprises Survey (PE Survey). |
| Cognate Group | A classification based on similar business activities (e.g., Coal, Petroleum, Financial Services). |
| Highest Profit Maker | ONGC Ltd. (₹35.61 lakh crore) for 2024-25. |
| Strategic Divestment | Extant policy to exit non-core/non-strategic loss-making sectors. |
Conclusion:
While CPSEs in energy and finance continue to act as “cash cows” for the government, the persistent losses in the telecom sector highlight deep structural challenges.
Topic 3: National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) – New Infrastructure & Digital Governance
GS Paper 3: Disaster and disaster management; Infrastructure: Water and Dams; Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Biotech.
Context: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Paatil, inaugurated the new headquarters of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) in New Delhi and launched three major AI and GIS-driven digital platforms to modernize the safety oversight of India’s 6,600+ specified dams.
Institutional Framework: NDSA and CWC
The NDSA is a statutory body established under the Dam Safety Act, 2021. It functions as the national regulator to implement safety standards and resolve inter-state dam disputes.
-
- New Office: Located at R.K. Puram, New Delhi, designed to provide a technology-integrated workplace for better productivity.
- Sustainable Infrastructure: A rooftop solar facility was remotely inaugurated across seven buildings of the Central Water Commission (CWC), emphasizing the “Green Government” initiative.
Digital Initiatives for Dam Safety
The Ministry launched a suite of tech-tools to move from “paper-based” inspections to “data-driven” risk assessment:
1. NETRA (NDSA Engine for Tracking and Review using AI)
Developed in collaboration with WESEE (Indian Navy’s R&D lab), NETRA is a cutting-edge AI engine.
-
- Function: A conversational interface (AI Chatbot) that provides instant access to policy guidelines and the Dam Safety Act.
- Integration: It is linked with DHARMA, India’s national repository of dam data.
- Impact: NDSA processes over 13,000 inspection reports annually. NETRA uses AI to analyze this massive volume of data to identify structural vulnerabilities faster than manual review.
2. Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan (RBSD)
Developed by C-DAC, this is a high-end visualization platform.
-
- Purpose: It presents the results of Dam Break Analysis (DBA).
- Simulation: It visualizes potential “Inundation Maps” showing which areas would be flooded in the event of a dam failure.
- Use Case: Essential for creating effective Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and disaster mitigation strategies.
3. GIS-Based NDSA Website
The new portal (https://ndsa.gov.in) follows DBIM 3.0 guidelines.
-
- Specified Dams Section: Uses a GIS (Geographic Information System) interface to allow users to click on a map and view detailed technical features of any specific dam in India.
Strategic Significance
-
- Transparency: Mapping “Specified Dams” on a public GIS platform enhances accessibility for researchers and state authorities.
- Speed: Analyzing 13,000 reports through AI (NETRA) reduces the time-lag between an inspection and the remedial action.
- Predictive Safety: Visualization (RBSD) allows engineers to see the “invisible” risks of hydraulic failures before they occur.
UPSC Prelims Fodder: Fact-Check
| Feature | Details |
| DHARMA | Digital Highway for Reservoir Inventory of Dam Health and Rehabilitation. |
| WESEE | Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (partnered for NETRA). |
| C-DAC | Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (partnered for RBSD). |
| Specified Dams | Those over 15m in height, or between 10m-15m with specific technical criteria. |
| NDSA | National-level body; States have SDSO (State Dam Safety Organizations). |
Conclusion:
By integrating AI (NETRA) and Visualization (RBSD), India is building a “Digital Twin” approach to dam safety. These tools ensure that India’s water infrastructure remains resilient to climate change and structural aging, upholding the spirit of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
Spread the Word
