EARTH Summit 2025 Begins in Gandhinagar

Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the EARTH Summit 2025 on Friday at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar.

• The event marks the second edition in a series of three summits aimed at strengthening the rural economy and promoting result-oriented solutions for rural development.

Launch of 13 New Services Under ‘Sahakar Sarathi’

• Amit Shah launched over 13 new services and products under the ‘Sahakar Sarathi’ initiative.
• The initiative aims to modernize and expand the cooperative sector’s reach and impact across India.

Focus on Rural Economy and Policy Framework

• The three EARTH Summits focus on resolving major issues related to four ministries that play a key role in the rural economy.
• Deliberations from all three summits will culminate in a comprehensive policy framework at the third summit in Delhi next year.

Gandhian Vision for Village-Centric Development

• Shah recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s vision that India’s progress must be rooted in village-centric development.
• He observed that after Independence, this principle was neglected, affecting agriculture, animal husbandry, and cooperatives — the three pillars of rural development.

Transformation Since 2014

• Shah highlighted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a historic shift began in 2014 that placed rural development at the core of national growth.
• The government has since strengthened agriculture, animal husbandry, and cooperative sectors through reforms and new institutions.

Cooperative Institution in Every Panchayat

• A holistic vision has been adopted to establish a cooperative institution in every Panchayat in the coming years.
• Through this, the government aims to create over 50 crore active cooperative members.

Boosting Cooperative Sector’s Contribution to GDP

• The goal is to significantly increase the cooperative sector’s contribution to India’s GDP from current levels.
• Shah said that meeting these goals will ensure inclusive development, benefitting rural women involved in animal husbandry, small farmers, and all rural citizens.

Source: PIB