Autonomy, Governance and Empowerment Study of Souharda Cooperatives

Cooperative sector in India, though world’s largest, has many ills that has shadowed this potentially most significant people’s movement. Government intervention is one such problem which is often cited as a big bane. The call for autonomy of cooperative sector remains pronounced for a long time now. Some states in India have tried to address this issue by passing a separate legislation for Mutually Aided Cooperatives. With the passing of Souharda Cooperative Act in 1997, Karnataka state entered a dual legislative framework for cooperative sector. The Souharda Cooperatives are autonomous cooperatives that have least state intervention and support. In the last two and half decades there emerged more than 6,000 Souharda Cooperatives with their own federation – Karnataka State Souharda Federal Cooperative – which has quasi legislative authority unlike the federations of any other enterprise forms. Even though six other states in India have similar legislations, the structure and performance of these cooperatives in Karnataka are unique. Has functional autonomy lead to better governance practices and greater business innovation and stability? Can the Souharda Cooperative model of Karnataka be replicated in other parts of the country and overseas? What are the issues and challenges autonomous cooperatives face in the present day dynamic market situation? These and a few other questions are sought to be answered in this volume, through scholarly analysis of varied functional areas of Souharda Cooperatives.