Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that more than 6.56 lakh cooperative societies are currently functional across the country, while 1.39 lakh are non-functional and 48,537 societies are under liquidation, as per data available on the National Cooperative Database (NCD) portal as of November 15, 2025.
Providing State-wise details in a written reply, the Minister said Maharashtra leads the country with about 2.17 lakh functional cooperative societies, followed by Gujarat (78,215), Telangana (48,186), Karnataka (40,231) and Madhya Pradesh (27,370). Rajasthan has 25,491 functional cooperatives, while West Bengal (22,952) and Uttar Pradesh (22,724) also account for a significant number of active societies.
In terms of non-functional cooperatives, Madhya Pradesh (18,423), Uttar Pradesh (17,180), Rajasthan (13,419) and Telangana (12,297) figure prominently. Haryana and Madhya Pradesh reported a high number of societies under liquidation, with 16,378 and 8,852 societies respectively.
Smaller States and Union Territories such as Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have comparatively fewer cooperatives, though a notable number are either non-functional or under liquidation.
The Minister further stated that the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) (Amendment) Act and Rules, 2023, notified in August 2023, were enacted to strengthen governance, enhance transparency and accountability, and reform the electoral process in multi-State cooperative societies, in line with the Ninety-seventh Constitutional Amendment.
Key reforms include the establishment of a Cooperative Election Authority, appointment of a Cooperative Ombudsman, mandatory disclosure through Information Officers, stricter audit and accounting standards, prudential norms for credit societies, safeguards against nepotism, additional grounds for disqualification of directors, and enhanced democratic functioning through prescribed quorum norms.
Provisions also empower the Central Registrar to inquire into fraudulent or unlawful activities and to initiate winding up proceedings in cases of misrepresentation or fraud.
Highlighting capacity building, Shah said the Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU) has been set up to impart advanced, practice-oriented management and digital skills tailored to the needs of the cooperative sector.
To further strengthen oversight, provisions for concurrent audits have been introduced for large multi-State cooperatives with turnover or deposits exceeding Rs 500 crore, along with mandatory online filing of annual returns through the CRCS portal.
The Minister added that the National Cooperative Database, launched on March 8, 2024, provides a single-point access to information on over 8.4 lakh cooperatives nationwide and is being used to identify gaps in cooperative coverage.
The government is also converting PACS, dairy and fisheries cooperatives into multi-purpose cooperatives, forming two lakh new MPACS, and liquidating defunct societies wherever feasible. A Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund has also been created to revive sick multi-State cooperative societies and support infrastructure development.