17. Co-operative Societies

The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2011 gave a constitutional status and protection to co-operative societies. In this context, it made the following three changes in the Constitution:

1. It made the right to form co-operative societies a fundamental right (Article 19).

2. It included a new Directive Principle of State Policy on promotion of co-operative societies (Article 43-B).

3. It added a new Part IX-B in the Constitution which is entitled as "The Co-operative Societies” (Articles 243-ZH to 243-ZT).

The new Part IX-B contains various provisions to ensure that the co-operative societies in the country function in a democratic, professional, autonomous and economically sound manner. It empowers the Parliament in respect of multi-state cooperative societies and the state legislatures in respect of other co-operative societies to make the appropriate law.