Cooperative Medical College to cut fee: Sudhakaran

Cooperative Medical College to cut fee: Sudhakaran
Staff Reporter
Foundation stone laid for nursing college, hostels
Extra fee collected last year to be refunded
Nursing college, hostels built at an estimated cost of Rs.9 crore
KOCHI: Cooperation and Coir Minister G. Sudhakaran has said that the professional colleges in the State were facing a dearth of faculty. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the nursing college and hostels on the premises of the Cooperative Medical College, Kalamassery, here on Wednesday.
The faulty policies on higher education and professional education for 40 years have resulted in such a situation, said the Minister. The situation has affected medical colleges the most. Understanding the situation, the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE) has taken the initiative of creating institutions that would provide more professionals in various fields of medicine, engineering and management.
Mr. Sudhakaran came down heavily on the ambiguity in the system of inspecting the colleges by the Medical Council of India. It has affected many medical colleges in carrying out their academic programme. He said that from the next academic session the Co-operative Medical College would cut the fee. A 20 per cent reduction in the current fee of Rs.4.5 lakh for the management quota seats is likely. The extra fee collected last year will be refunded, said the Minister. The fee cut is being implemented when the college is running at a loss of Rs.10 crore, he said. The aim is to make professional education more affordable and Government would provide the funds for it, he said.
The nursing college and hostels are built at an estimated cost of Rs.9-crore. The hostels will have the capacity to house 400 students.
The hostel and college are part of the Rs.20 crore basic infrastructure facility development programme under CAPE.
A. M. Yusuf, MLA, presided over the function. P.G.R. Pillai, Medical Director, welcomed the gathering. K. Krishnankutty, Director, CAPE, presented the report.
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ILO hails UN proclamation of 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives

ILO hails UN proclamation of 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives
The International Labour Office (ILO) hailed the proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly of 2012 of the International Year of Cooperatives as an acknowledgement of the fundamental role of cooperatives in promoting the socio-economic development of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, especially in times of economic crisis.

Type News item
Date issued 22 December 2009
Reference INEWS/09/cooperatives
Unit responsible
Communication and Public Information
Subjects cooperatives
GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Office (ILO) hailed the proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly of 2012 of the International Year of Cooperatives as an acknowledgement of the fundamental role of cooperatives in promoting the socio-economic development of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, especially in times of economic crisis.
Hagen Henry, Director of the ILO Cooperative Programme (ILO/COOP), said the move “recognizes the pivotal role cooperatives play globally in supporting sustainable development, eradicating and preventing poverty, and creating and securing livelihoods in various economic sectors, both formal and informal, and in urban and rural areas. Cooperatives, as social economic enterprises and self-help organizations, have a meaningful function in uplifting the socio-economic conditions of their members and their local communities in virtually all countries.”
The ILO said cooperative enterprises have successfully operated locally-owned, people-centered businesses while also serving as catalysts for social organization and cohesion. With their concern for their members and communities, they represent the core type of enterprises that do not have profit making as a primary objective and organizations that place a high regard on democratic and human values while facing climate change challenges.
In the resolution, the UN General Assembly calls for measures aimed at creating a supportive and enabling environment for the development of cooperatives and raising public awareness of the contribution of cooperatives to employment generation and socio-economic development. It also underlines the need for comprehensive research and statistical data-gathering on the activities of cooperatives, employment and overall socio-economic impact in preparation for the International Year, and support for agricultural and financial cooperatives in particular.
ILO COOP says cooperatives have a proven record of creating and sustaining employment, providing more than 100 million jobs today, while the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) says the top 300 cooperatives worldwide are responsible for an aggregate turnover of USD 1.1 trillion, equal to that of the world’s tenth largest economy. The ILO, as the only UN agency with a mandate on cooperatives, having developed in-depth expertise in this area over the years, will take a leading role together with the ICA, under the overall coordination of the UN, in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy for activities to be undertaken during the International Year.
The adoption of the resolution A/RES/64/136 was supported by 55 countries; namely: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Lebanon, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Panama, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

2012 International Year of Cooperatives

United Nations Declares 2012 International Year of Cooperatives
NEW YORK, 21 December (Department of Economic and Social Affairs) -- The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development. In adopting resolution 64/136 on 18 December, the Assembly noted that cooperatives impact poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.
A cooperative is an autonomous voluntary association of people who unite to meet common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations, through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. In general, they contribute to socio-economic development.
As self-help organizations that meet the needs of their members, cooperatives assist in generating employment and incomes throughout local communities. Cooperatives provide opportunities for social inclusion. In the informal economy, workers have formed shared service cooperatives and associations to assist in their self-employment. In rural areas, savings and credit cooperatives provide access to banking services that are lacking in many communities and finance the formation of small and micro businesses, promotes inclusive finance.
The cooperative sector worldwide has about 800 million members in over 100 countries and is estimated to account for more than 100 million jobs around the world. The strength and reach of cooperatives are illustrated in the following examples:
· under the umbrella of the World Council of Credit Unions, 49,000 credit unions serve 177 million members in 96 countries, and 4,200 banks under the European Association of Cooperative Banks serve 149 million clients;
· agricultural cooperatives account for 80 to 99 per cent of milk production in Norway, New Zealand and the United States; 71 per cent of fishery production in the Republic of Korea; and 40 per cent of agriculture in Brazil;
· electric cooperatives play a key role in rural areas. In Bangladesh, rural electric cooperatives serve 28 million people. In the United States, 900 rural electric cooperatives serve 37 million people and own almost half of the electric distribution lines in the country.
International Years are declared by the United Nations to draw attention to major issues and encourage action. To commemorate the Year, regional conferences will raise awareness of cooperatives and seek ways to leverage their contribution to socio-economic development and foster regulatory frameworks. A research agenda will be proposed and Member States are to form national committees that will serve as focal points for the Year’s activities.
For more information, contact the Department of Economic and Social Affairs focal point on cooperatives, Felice Llamas, llamas@un.org, +1 212 963 2924.

What is a co-operative?

Definition

A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
Values

Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
Principles

The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.
1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.
3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.
5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7th Principle: Concern for Community
Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.