Author: Sahakar Bharati

Vaikunthbhai Mehta friend, philosopher, guide and a doyen of Cooperative movement was born on 26th October 1891 at Bhavnagar in Gujarat. Vaikunthbhai served the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank as Chief Executive for an uninterrupted period of about 35 years. He was Minister of Finance and Cooperation of the then Bombay State and was first Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission. The contribution of Vaikunthbhai Mehta to the cause of Cooperative Education and Training was pioneering and foundational. The true architect of cooperative movement profound thinker and prolific writer passed away on 27th October 1964.

Late Shri. Dhananjayrao Gadgil was born on the 10th April 1901 in Nagpur. His grandfather was the first one from his family to migrate from Konkan to Nagpur. Shri. Gadgil completed school education in Nagpur and got his degree from Cambridge University. He returned to India after obtaining D.Lit. from Cambridge University. He established the Gokhale Institute of Economics in Pune for researching into the rural economy, developing a better understanding of strengths & weaknesses, anxieties & aspirations of rural people. During his tenure as the director of the institute from 1930 to 1933 he undertook completed various fundamental research projects. He combined research, experimentation and experiences to develop co-operative sector. His contribution towards co-operative cred...