Addressing a coop. event at JNU, Dr. Mallika Kumar, a faculty member at SRCC and Vice Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee for Cooperatives in Educational Institutions (ICEI) laid emphasis on the multifaceted role of campus cooperatives.
She highlighted the potential of these cooperatives not only as educational hubs but also as incubators for innovative ideas, promoters of self-help values, and facilitators of national agendas and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Additionally, she noted their role in addressing challenges such as youth unemployment and loneliness.
Dr. Kumar stressed the importance of practical learning and experiential education in understanding the cooperative business model. She advocated for integrating cooperative education into the curriculum and providing students with hands-on experiences to enhance their understanding.
She mentioned the existing programs like Coop Connect by the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and called for collaborative platforms at educational institutions like JNU to facilitate discussions on cooperatives among youth. She believed that sharing success stories of cooperatives would motivate students to engage more with the concept.
Dr. Kumar proposed conducting studies to map the inclusion of cooperatives in education curricula nationwide and conducting surveys to identify the needs of students and youth that cooperatives could address. This holistic approach aims to promote cooperative education and its practical applications among students across the country.