One-Day Workshop on Financial Inclusion Organized by NABARD and Udaipur Central Cooperative Bank

Udaipur, India – In alignment with the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, as declared by the United Nations, a one-day workshop on financial inclusion was jointly organized by NABARD and the Udaipur Central Cooperative Bank.

The event was graced by Dr. Rajeev Siwach, Chief General Manager of NABARD, Jaipur, as the Chief Guest. He was welcomed with a floral bouquet and shawl by Mrs. Gunjan Chaubey, Additional Registrar, Cooperative Department, Udaipur Division; Mr. Ashutosh Bhatt, Regional Officer; Mr. Neeraj Yadav, District Development Officer, NABARD Udaipur; and Dr. Mehjabeen Bano, Managing Director of the bank.

In his address, Dr. Dharmesh Motwani shared insights on the initiatives undertaken over the past six months under the International Year of Cooperatives, including programs like Mhaaro Khata Mhaaro Bank, Customer Connect Campaign, and Micro ATM Distribution, which have significantly strengthened the bank’s financial outreach and public engagement with the cooperative movement.

Mr. Neeraj Yadav, District Development Officer, NABARD Udaipur, highlighted the relevance of financial inclusion in the current context and emphasized NABARD’s ongoing financial support in bolstering the business of cooperative banks.

Mr. Vaibhav Gaur, Senior Manager (Accounts & Finance), presented a detailed PowerPoint on the bank’s financial performance and the progress of various schemes. He noted consistent growth in deposits and loan disbursements over the past five years and shared a documentary featuring the success story of the Rajyawas Gram Seva Samiti, recognized as the bank’s best-performing committee.

Mr. Laxman Meghvanshi, Regional Manager, CRISIL Foundation, delivered a keynote lecture on financial inclusion. He elaborated on the government’s schemes aimed at including every citizen in the financial system and advised the public on secure banking practices—such as not sharing OTPs, avoiding unknown calls and suspicious links, and promptly reporting cyber frauds to the police and on helpline number 1930.

During the event:

Micro ATMs were distributed to five bank-affiliated committees.

E-PACS certificates were awarded to six computerised committees actively using software in daily operations.

Symbolic cheques were distributed to two beneficiaries under the Sahkar Kisan Kalyan Yojana and four beneficiaries under the Gopal Credit Card Scheme.

In his keynote, Dr. Rajeev Siwach stated that cooperatives have become a national priority, leading to the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation at the central level. He emphasized the importance of technology in banking progress and encouraged all cooperative societies to go live under the PACS Computerization Scheme and work transparently through software platforms.

Dr. Mehjabeen Bano, Managing Director, proposed a vote of thanks and appealed for increased financial assistance from NABARD to enable broader agricultural lending.

The event concluded with a tree plantation drive under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign, joined by all dignitaries.

Notable attendees included Mrs. Gunjan Chaubey, Mr. Ashutosh Bhatt, Mr. Neeraj Yadav, Mr. Sanjay Gupta (Lead District Bank Manager), Mr. Lokesh Joshi (Deputy Registrar), Dr. Pramod Kumar (GM, Udaipur Cooperative Wholesale Store), Mr. Kautilya Bhatt (Special Auditor), along with over 80 cooperative managers, farmers, and Rajeevika members.