MP Satnam Singh Sandhu raises query on AI in Cooperatives; Amit Shah details Centre's digital push
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, July 24, 2026: Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah has informed Parliament that the Centre is progressively promoting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital platforms across the cooperative sector through academic, training and institutional initiatives. The clarification came in response to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Seeking details from the Ministry of Cooperation, MP Sandhu had asked whether AI and digital platforms were being integrated into cooperative institutions and educational systems, the steps being taken to adopt technology-driven teaching methods in Punjab, and the support being provided for capacity building of teachers and cooperative professionals.
In a written reply, Amit Shah said cooperative training institutions, including the Regional Institute of Cooperative Management (RICM), Chandigarh, are adopting technology-driven teaching pedagogy and digital learning platforms as part of the Centre's modernisation efforts.
The minister said the initiatives include the use of smart classrooms equipped with interactive digital boards, projectors and ICT-enabled teaching tools, blended learning through e-content, online classes and Learning Management Systems (LMS), besides training faculty in digital pedagogy and ICT tools. He added that digital learning initiatives are reviewed periodically to ensure their effective implementation.
Shah further informed Parliament that the Union government is supporting capacity-building programmes through Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), refresher courses, seminars, workshops and webinars. These programmes cover cooperative management, banking and finance, governance, digital banking, digital transformation and other emerging areas of the cooperative sector.
Welcoming the Centre's initiatives, MP Satnam Singh Sandhu said India's cooperative movement has been instrumental in the success of the Green and White Revolutions and is now entering a new phase driven by AI and digital technologies.
He said the adoption of emerging technologies would strengthen innovation, financial inclusion, sustainable agriculture, market access for farmers and the global competitiveness of cooperative products, while contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of enhancing farmers' incomes.