The Cooperation Department, Government of Sikkim, organised its second awareness programme on cooperatives at Sanchaman Limboo Government College, Aarigaon, Gyalshing, as part of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 celebrations themed “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”
The programme, which saw participation from 191 students of SMLGC Aarigaon and SGVC Dentam, highlighted the role of cooperatives in promoting grassroots democracy, employment, and inclusive development.
Chief Guest Dr Bhakta Kunwar, Principal of SMLGC, urged students to engage in the cooperative movement, recalling how cooperative societies once provided affordable study materials during his student days.
Speakers from the Cooperation Department, including Joint Registrar Ms Laden Gensapa, Assistant Registrar Mr Tsewang Norbu Bhutia, and Auditor Ms Sital Rai, deliberated on the history, values, policies, auditing framework, and government initiatives shaping India’s cooperative sector. They also emphasized opportunities for youth in entrepreneurship and careers through cooperatives.
The session underscored Sikkim’s robust cooperative network of 3,776 societies with over 84,000 members across 24 sectors. Students actively interacted, expressing interest in forming cooperative societies in the district.
This was the second such programme in Sikkim, following a similar event at Government Degree College, Namchi, on August 22.
