On December 5, 2025, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated Earth Summit 2025 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. At the summit, Shah launched over 13 new services and digital products under the 'Sahakar Sarathi' initiative — a joint digital initiative of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and the Ministry of Cooperation aimed at enabling digital banking systems for cooperative banks and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across India. Key launches included the Digi Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Campaign Sarathi, Website Sarathi, the Cooperative Governance Index (CGI), and the electronic-Primary Agricultural Credit Society (ePACS) platform. The Digi KCC aims to make the Kisan Credit Card — India's flagship agricultural credit instrument — fully digital from application to disbursement, reducing turnaround times from weeks to hours. The Cooperative Governance Index (CGI) will rank cooperative institutions on transparency, financial health, and democratic functioning — introducing accountability metrics into a sector that has historically suffered from political interference and poor governance. The ePACS platform aims to computerise over 63,000 PACS across India, many of which still operate on manual, paper-based ledgers. The Earth Summit brought together state cooperative ministers, NABARD officials, cooperative banks, agri-tech companies, and rural finance experts. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present. The summit underscored the central government's 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation) vision — institutionalised through the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation in 2021 under Amit Shah.
EARTH Summit 2025 Inaugurated by Amit Shah in Gandhinagar: 13+ Sahakar Sarathi Services Launched to Digitise Cooperative Banking and Rural Credit
On December 5, 2025, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated Earth Summit 2025 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. At the summit, Shah launched over 13 new services and digital products under the 'Sahakar Sarathi' initiative — a joint digital initiative of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and the Ministry of Cooperation aimed at enabling digital banking systems for cooperative banks and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across India. Key launches included the Digi Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Campaign Sarathi, Website Sarathi, the Cooperative Governance Index (CGI), and the electronic-Primary Agricultural Credit Society (ePACS) platform. The Digi KCC aims to make the Kisan Credit Card fully digital from application to disbursement. The Cooperative Governance Index will rank cooperative institutions on transparency, financial health, and democratic functioning. The ePACS platform aims to computerise over 63,000 PACS across India. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present. The summit underscored the central government's 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' vision, institutionalised through the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation in 2021 under Amit Shah.
Key facts
- Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the EARTH Summit 2025 in Gandhinagar on December 9.
- Over 13 Sahakar Sarathi digital services were launched for cooperative banks and PACS.
- Digi Kisan Credit Card makes KCC fully digital from application to disbursement.
- The Cooperative Governance Index will rank cooperative institutions on transparency.
- The ePACS platform aims to computerise over 63,000 PACS across India.
- The summit supports the 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' vision under the Ministry of Cooperation.
Mains angle
Q: Evaluate how Sahakar Sarathi initiatives launched at EARTH Summit 2025 advance cooperative credit digitisation and 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' in rural India.
Answer (50 words):
On December 9, 2025, Amit Shah inaugurated EARTH Summit 2025 in Gandhinagar, launching over 13 Sahakar Sarathi services jointly by NABARD and Ministry of Cooperation. Key tools include Digi Kisan Credit Card, Cooperative Governance Index and ePACS, which will computerise over 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies nationwide, reducing credit turnaround from weeks.
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How many new digital services were launched under Sahakar Sarathi at the EARTH Summit 2025?
At the EARTH Summit 2025, over 13 new services and digital products were launched under Sahakar Sarathi to digitise cooperative banking and rural credit.
Source: PIB
Frequently asked questions
What does EARTH stand for in EARTH Summit 2025?
EARTH stands for 'Empowering Agriculture and Rural Transformation through Harnessing technology'. The summit was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on December 9, 2025.
What is the 'Sahakar Sarathi' initiative launched at EARTH Summit 2025?
Sahakar Sarathi is a joint digital initiative of NABARD and the Ministry of Cooperation aimed at enabling digital banking systems for cooperative banks and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across India. Over 13 new services and digital products were launched under this initiative at the summit.
What is the Digi Kisan Credit Card launched at EARTH Summit 2025?
Digi Kisan Credit Card (KCC) is a digital product launched under the Sahakar Sarathi initiative that makes the entire Kisan Credit Card process fully digital — from application to disbursement — benefiting farmers across cooperative banking networks.
What is the ePACS platform and its significance?
The ePACS platform is a digital initiative aimed at computerising over 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across India. It is part of the broader 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' vision under the Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen rural cooperative institutions.
What is the Cooperative Governance Index announced at EARTH Summit 2025?
The Cooperative Governance Index is a ranking mechanism introduced to evaluate cooperative institutions on the basis of transparency and governance standards, promoting accountability in India's cooperative sector.
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