II. Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What do you mean by cooperative organization?

Answer. A cooperative is a private business organization that is owned and controlled by the people who use its products, supplies or services.

 

Question 2. Define cooperatives.

Answer. Cooperation is a form of organization in which persons voluntarily associate together as human beings on the basis of equality for the promotion of the economic interests of themselves.

 

Question 3. What is Credit cooperatives?

Answer. Cooperative credit societies are societies formed for providing short term financial help to their members. Agriculturists, artisans, industrial workers, salaried employees, etc... Form these credit societies.

 

Question 4. Is low taxes possible in Cooperative society?

Answer. Yes, Low taxes are possible in cooperative society because it is a non-profit enterprise, and government provides various exemptions and tax concessions.

 

Question 5. Who are Rochadale Pioneers?

Answer. At first the cooperative movement was started by Robert Owen, in the year 1844. He formed a consumer's cooperative society in England with 28 workers as members, called "Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers".

 

III. Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What are the disadvantages of Cooperatives? (Any 3)

Answer

1. Limited funds: Cooperative societies have limited membership and are promoted by the weaker sections. The membership fees collected is low. Therefore the funds available with the cooperatives are limited.

 

2. Over reliance on Government funds: Cooperative societies are not able to raise their own resources. Their sources of financing are limited and they depend on government funds.

 

3. Imposed by Government: In the Western countries, cooperative societies were voluntarily started by the weaker sections. The objective is to improve their economic status and protect themselves from exploitation by businessmen. But in India, the cooperative movement was initiated and established by the Government.

 

Question 2. Write a note on Housing cooperatives.

Answer. The cooperative housing societies are meant to provide residential accommodation to their members on ownership basis or on rent. People who intend to build houses of their own join together and form housing societies. These societies advance loans to members, repayable over a period of 15 to 20 years.

 

Question 3. What is meant by Producers cooperative society?

Answer. Producer cooperatives are created by producers and owned and operated by producers. Producers can decide to work together or as separate entities to help increase marketing possibilities and production efficiency. They are organized to process, market, and distribute their own products. This helps lessen costs and strains in each area with a mutual benefit to each producer.

 

Question 4. Write a note on cooperative forming societies.

Answer When various farmers in a village pool their land together and agree to treat the pooled piece of land as one big farm for the purpose of cultivation, purchase the necessary inputs for the cultivation, and market the crops jointly, they are assumed to have formed a cooperative farming society. Such a society, for its proper working elects its office bearers on the basis of one member — one — vote.

 

Question 5. Write a note on industrial cooperatives.

Answer An industrial cooperative is organised by small scale producers. Cooperative undertakings are a useful means of developing small scale and cottage industries. Industrial cooperatives are very useful in obtaining raw materials, in improving the quality of products.

 

IV. Long Answer Questions

 

Question 1. What are the principles of cooperatives? (Any 5)

Answer

1, Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are voluntary organisations, open to all people able to use its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

 

2. Democratic Member Control: Cooperatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members those who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

 

3. Member's Economic Participation: Members contribute equally to and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.

 

4. Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self — help organisations controlled by their members. If the cooperative enters into agreements with other organisations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the members and maintains the cooperative's autonomy.

 

5. Education. Training, and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperative. Members also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.

 

Question 2. What are the advantages of cooperative society?

 Answer

1. Voluntary organisation:

The membership of a cooperative society is open to all. Any person with common interest can become a member. The membership fee is kept low so that everyone would be able to join and benefit from cooperative societies.

2. Easy formation:

 Cooperatives can be formed much easily when compared to a company. Any 10 members who have attained majority can join together for forming a cooperative society by observing simple legal formalities.

3. Democracy:

A cooperative society is run on the principle of 'one man one vote'. It implies that all members have equal rights in managing the affairs of the enterprises.

4. Equal distribution of surplus:

The surplus generated by the cooperative societies is distributed in an equitable manner among members. Therefore all the members of the cooperative society are benefited.

5. Limited liability

The liability of the members in a cooperative society is limited to the extent of their capital contribution. They cannot be personally held liable for the debts of the society.

 

Question 3. What are the types of Cooperative society?

Answer

1. Consumers Cooperative: Consumer cooperatives are organized by consumers, that want to achieve better prices or quality in the goods or services they purchase. In contrast to traditional retail stores or service providers, a consumer cooperative exists to deliver goods or services rather than to maximize profit from selling those goods or services.

 

2. Producers Cooperative: Producer cooperatives are created by producers and owned & operated by producers. Producers can decide to work together or as separate entities to help increase marketing possibilities and production efficiency.

 

3. Marketing Cooperative: Cooperative marketing societies are associations of small producers formed for the purpose of marketing their produce. The marketing cooperatives perform certain marketing functions such as grading, warehousing, advertising etc.

4. Credit Cooperative: Cooperative credit societies are societies formed for providing short-term financial help to their members. Agriculturists, artisans, industrial workers, salaried employees, etc..., form these credit societies.

 

5. Housing Cooperative: These cooperative housing societies are meant to provide residential accommodation to their members on ownership basis or on rent. People who intend to build houses of their own join together and form housing societies. These societies advance loans to members, repayable over a period of 15 to 20 years.

 

Question 4. Write a note on Consumer cooperative society.

Answer. Consumer cooperatives are organized by consumers that want to achieve better prices or quality in the goods or services they purchase. In contrast to traditional retail stores or service providers, a consumer cooperative exists to deliver goods or services rather than to maximize profits from selling those goods or services. Nationally, the most widely used cooperative form is the credit union, with some 90 million members. Credit union assets have grown a hundred-fold in three decades. Credit unions are essentially cooperatives of people that use banking services. Students' cooperative stores, Cooperative provision stores. Supermarkets set up on cooperative societies of India are examples of this type.

 

Question 5. Whether misuse of funds is possible in cooperatives.

Answer. Yes, misuse of funds is possible in co-operatives. If the members of the managing committee are corrupt, they can swindle the funds of the cooperative society. Many cooperative societies have been faced financial problems and closed down because of corruption and misuse of funds.