Co-Operative Movement in India: A Critical Appraisal

The Co-operative Movement in India has passed through various ups and downs. It may be said to have begun with the passing of the Co-operative Societies Act of 1904. A landmark in the history of the movement was the announcement by the Government of India of a National Co-operative Policy in 2002 alongwith some legislative reforms by enacting the new Multistate Co-operative Societies Act, 2002. The Government also set up a Task Force in 2002 to recommend measures for strengthening the co-operative movement. However, an expert appointed by the ICA Regional Office in India had in a report in 2004 stated that progress in the implementation of the National Co-operative Policy 2002 by the Government of India had been very slow. The reasons for this slide needed to be studied. The author, a veteran sociologist and economist has done this and dealt with almost all aspects of the co-operative movement in the country during its historical development and evolution. This is a revised edition of his excellent study first published in 1994. Apart from a brilliant introduction to the growth of the co-operative movement, the major subjects studied by the author are: CO-operation in Agriculture Sector, Cooperation in Non-Agriculture Sector, Co-operative Administration, Education and Training, concluding with a vision of the future perspective. Every detail of these aspects has been given comprehensively in different chapters facilitating a study of any specific facet of the co-operative movement. This authoritative book contains almost all one might like to know about the co-operative movement by an expert who has devoted a long period of time to study the subject. A must for all collections on cooperatives and related issues.

G. R. Madan, (b. 1923), M.A. (Econ.), M.A. (socio.), Dip. in Com., L.L.B., Ph.D., had a good academic career. He worked in a research project 'Socio-Economic Survey of Lucknow City' sponsored by the Research Programmes Committee if the Planning Commission, under Dr. Radha Kamal Mukerjee, Director, J.K. Institute of Sociology and Human Relations, Lucknow University, between 1954 and 1956. From 1956 onwards he taught in the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Lucknow University till his retirement from the university service in 1984. During 1966-67 he was a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University (U.S.A.) as well as a Fulbright Visiting Lecturer. He worked there with Dr. Harold F.  Kaufman in the field of Rural Sociology. During 1970-71 he went to England under the British Council Commonwealth University Interchange Scheme and worked with Prof. S.L. Andreski, at the University of Reading. His work Western Sociologists on Indian Society has been published by the International Library of Sociology, London. In 1979 he was invited to deliver some special lectures on 'Social Disorganization and Social Reconstruction in India' at the Karnatak University, Dharwar, and in 1976 on 'Community Development in India (Some Recent Trends)' at the Bangalore University. He has written several books and articles on India's social and economic problems. He is associated with a number of social welfare voluntary organisations. Currently, he is Visiting Professor of Sociology, Maharaja Surajmal Institute, New Delhi.