Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for a series of major cooperative sector projects at the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the Ministry of Cooperation at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Monday, reinforcing the Centre's vision of "Sahakar Se Samriddhi."

The event will mark five years of the Ministry of Cooperation and showcase key reforms undertaken to modernise cooperative institutions through digital transformation, infrastructure development and institutional strengthening.

Several Union ministers, senior government officials and representatives of cooperative institutions from across the country are expected to attend the ceremony. Among those present will be Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Ministers of State Krishan Pal Gurjar and Murlidhar Mohol, along with officials from the Ministries of Cooperation, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, and Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

A major highlight of the programme will be the inauguration, transfer and foundation stone laying of 232 grain storage godowns under the World's Largest Grain Storage Scheme. The projects include the transfer of 135 completed godowns, inauguration of 85 new facilities, and foundation laying for 47 additional storage units, aimed at strengthening agricultural storage infrastructure across the country.

Shah will also perform the Bhoomi Pujan for 'Sahakar Van', a 64-acre cooperative afforestation project being developed jointly by Amul and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF). Foundation stones will also be laid for tissue culture facilities of Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, and Jalgaon, Maharashtra, to improve quality seed production.

As part of the government's digital transformation drive, the minister will launch NCD 3.0, a geo-tag mobile application, and the National Dairy Development Board's Milk Supply Review Dashboard Portal. Two new digital platforms for urban cooperative banks—Sahakar CBS, a centralised core banking solution, and Sahakar Sahyogi, an AI-powered conversational platform—will also be unveiled.

In another significant initiative, the Ministry will announce the digitisation of 50,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into e-PACS, a move expected to improve transparency, governance and service delivery at the grassroots level.

The ceremony will also witness the inauguration of the Cooperative Milk Producers Organisation Multi-State Limited and the Gomay Cooperative Society Multi-State Limited, aimed at strengthening the dairy and rural cooperative ecosystem.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BBSSL and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will be signed to enhance India's seed systems. During the event, Amit Shah will also release model bye-laws for dairy cooperative societies and a commemorative publication highlighting the Ministry's achievements over the past five years.

According to the Ministry, the initiatives reflect the government's continued focus on empowering farmers, dairy producers, women, youth, cooperative institutions and rural communities through technology-driven reforms and stronger cooperative governance.

The Foundation Day programme is expected to reaffirm the Centre's commitment to building a modern, transparent and self-reliant cooperative sector in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

MP records highest wheat stubble burning cases in India

Over 20,000 incidents reported across Madhya Pradesh in April; Vidisha and Ujjain emerge as worst-hit districts in latest India news update.

Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in India for wheat stubble burning incidents this season, accounting for nearly 69% of all cases recorded across five major agricultural states. According to the latest data from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the state reported 20,164 fire incidents between April 1 and April 21, 2026.

Sharp spike in farm fires

The surge in farm fires has placed Madhya Pradesh ahead of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in terms of environmental violations. Out of the 29,167 total cases monitored across the reporting states, MP’s share remains disproportionately high. While the current figures are slightly lower than the 20,422 cases recorded during the same period in 2025, experts warn that the state is on track to break previous records as the harvesting season peaks.

Hotspots in central India

District-level data highlights a concerning trend in the parliamentary constituency of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Vidisha recorded the highest number of incidents with 2,086 cases in the first three weeks of April. Ujjain followed closely with 2,053 cases, while Raisen, Hoshangabad, and Seoni also reported significant numbers, ranging from 1,300 to 1,900 incidents each.

Comparison with other states

In the regional landscape, Uttar Pradesh ranks second with 8,889 incidents of stubble burning during the same window. Interestingly, states like Punjab and Haryana, which historically dominate headlines for paddy stubble burning, have reported significantly lower figures for wheat residue this month. Haryana saw 65 cases, while Punjab recorded only 44, highlighting a shifting geographical focus of crop residue mismanagement toward central India.

Reasons behind the blaze

Agricultural experts point toward a narrow window between crop cycles as the primary driver. Professor Ashish Srivastava from the College of Agriculture, Ganj Basoda, noted that farmers are increasingly opting for summer moong cultivation. "With very little time left after the wheat harvest to prepare the fields for the next crop, many farmers find burning the stubble to be the quickest and most cost-effective method," he explained.

Sustainable alternatives for farmers

The government continues to promote the use of specialized machinery to curb the practice. Farmers are encouraged to use Super Seeders, Rotavators, and Mulchers to manage residue without resorting to fire. Additionally, the use of Pusa Decomposer, a microbial solution that turns stubble into manure, is being advocated to maintain soil health. Officials emphasized that wheat straw can also be processed into animal feed rather than being destroyed.

Legal consequences of violations

Stubble burning remains prohibited nationwide under environmental protection laws. Local administrations in Madhya Pradesh have been authorized to impose spot fines ranging from ₹2,500 to ₹15,000 based on the land area affected. Authorities stated that repeat offenders could face stricter legal action, including potential imprisonment, as part of the latest government updates to tackle rising air pollution levels and soil degradation.

Future outlook for MP

As the summer heat intensifies, the state administration is expected to ramp up satellite monitoring and ground-level inspections. The focus remains on educating the farming community about the long-term depletion of soil nutrients caused by fire. Environmentalists argue that unless mechanized solutions become more accessible and affordable, the trend of stubble burning in MP may continue to pose a significant challenge to India's climate goals.