The Rajya Sabha today passed the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to amend the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.

• The Lok Sabha had earlier passed the amendment Bill.
• The Bill will improve governance, reform the electoral process, strengthen the monitoring mechanism, improve the Board's composition, and enhance transparency and accountability in Multi-State Cooperative Societies.
• The Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, of 2002 was enacted with a view to facilitating the democratic functioning and autonomous working of multi-State co-operative societies in line with the established co-operative principles. 
• The government said there is a felt need to amend the Act to bring it in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment and strengthen the cooperative movement in the multi-State Cooperative societies sector.