What is the Scheme Sahakar Mitra?

Sahakar Mitra Scheme is a Summer Internship Programme (SIP) which has been flagged off by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. It is also called Scheme on Internship Programme. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is the responsible authority to run the scheme aiming to benefit both Cooperatives and young professionals (interns). 

What is the Scheme Sahakar Mitra?

It is an internship programme for students, young professionals to gain work-related learning experience in the NCDC functioning. These interns will be given opportunities to deliver innovative solutions to the cooperative sector thus making it beneficial for both interns and cooperatives.

Refer to the table below to get quick details about the Sahakar Mitra Scheme:

Sahakar Mitra Scheme
Name of the Scheme	Scheme on Internship Programme – Sahakar Mitra Note: It is a paid internship for four months
Government Ministry	Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
Initiative of	National Cooperative Development Corporation
Aim	To provide a learning experience to young professionals about the cooperative sector and bring out innovative solutions; making them self-reliant. Note: The idea of Self-Reliant India is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat.’
Official Website	http://sip.ncdc.in/

Objectives of Sahakar Mitra Scheme

The following table gives the objectives of the Scheme Sahakar Mitra:

Sahakar Mitra – Objectives

The role, contribution and impact of NCDC and cooperatives to be taught to the interns

Context and practical working of NCDC to be learnt by the interns

Professional graduates to be oriented towards a cooperative business model so as to engage themselves in start-up cooperatives

To provide opportunities to the interns to take up leadership/ entrepreneurial roles in Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs) which are organised under cooperative acts

To help the blooming cooperatives or those in need with business plans and projects through assured project loans on liberalized terms to young cooperators on startup mode.

To help promote the Modi’s idea of ‘Vocal for Local’

Capacity development in the cooperative sector

Who is eligible for the Sahakar Mitra Summer Internship Scheme?

The following persons are qualified to register for Sahakar Mitra Scheme:

1. A Professional Graduate having a minimum of Bachelor’s Degree (duly recommended by the Head of the Department of the UGC / AICTE / ICAR recognized Universities / Institutions), in the following:
   • Agri
   • Dairy
   • Animal Husbandry
   • Veterinary Sciences
   • Fisheries
   • Horticulture/
   • Textiles
   • Handloom
   • IT
2. Professional MBA Graduates (Pursuing/Completed) or Professional Graduates from the following courses:
   • MBA Agri-Business
   • MBA Cooperative
   • M.Com
   • MCA
   • MBA Finance
   • MBA International Trade
   • MBA Forestry
   • MBA Rural Development
   • MBA Project Management
   • Inter ICAI
   • Inter ICWA

Other Key-Points of the Sahakar Mitra Scheme:

1. It provides financial support for the interns for the four-month period of internship. A total of Rs. 45000 is provided for the internship.
2. Eligible professionals can register for the Sahakar Mitra Scheme through the NCDC official website
3. 60 Interns are to be trained
4. Maximum of two interns can be recommended from a particular institution in a year
5. An intern once chosen can’t be re-selected for the Sahakar Mitra Scheme
6. Eligible people can apply only through online registration.