On June 11 2020, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister inaugurated a Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Program (SIP) an initiative of the NCDC (National Cooperative Development Corporation). The program will provide practical experience of the cooperative sector and assured project loans on liberalized terms to young professionals in the start-up industry. The portal for online application is available on the NCDC website:https://www.ncdc.in/.
Key Points
i.The young professionals from academic institutions will be working with the NCDC under the scheme to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills through the cooperative sector by playing the role of FPO(Farmer Producer Organisation).
ii.The cooperatives provide paid internships where the professionals can practically learn while working and become self-reliant, emphasizing on the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiated by the Prime Minister of our country.
iii.The NCDC has created funds for the Sahakar Mitra Paid Internship Program, under which each intern will receive financial support for a period of 4 months.
Note: NCDC has also launched a supplementary scheme to promote start-up cooperative entrepreneurs.
Who will be eligible for the scheme?
- Graduates in agriculture and allied sectors and Information Technology (IT) will be eligible for the internship program.
- Also, Youths who have done or pursuing MBA from Agri-Business, Cooperation, Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural Development, Project Management will also be eligible.
About the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
The role of the ministry is to provide food and nutrition security, income and employment to support broad-based economic sector growth and work towards the welfare of the farmers.
Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar
About National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, it promotes programmes for production, processing, marketing, storage, export & import of agricultural produce, food, industrial goods, livestock, certain other notified commodities and services on cooperative principles.
Head office -New Delhi
Managing Director– Sundeep Kumar Nayak
