States Handed December 2026 Deadline for PACS Digitisation
- What: December 2026 PACS computerisation deadline
- Target: 95,000 new PACS within three years
- Technology: Uniform CBS rollout for cooperative banks
- Finance: Pledge financing pilots alongside MSP
India's push to modernise its rural credit backbone has entered a strict operational countdown. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies must complete every component of phase-one computerisation by December 2026, while statutory financial audits for 2024–25 and 2025–26 must wrap up by October 2026.
Speaking at the 9th National Review Workshop in Bastar, Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani dropped the traditional one-size-fits-all reform playbook. Bhutani urged state registrars to draw up customized, monitorable roadmaps, noting that district-level innovations in smaller states frequently outshine rigid centrally designed templates.
Beyond software upgrades, the Ministry wants an aggressive footprint expansion: bifurcating existing entities to launch 95,000 new societies over the next three years. This broader base is considered essential to keep District Central Cooperative Banks solvent. Concurrently, cooperative lenders must plug cyber vulnerabilities by adopting NABARD's upcoming standardized Core Banking Solution platform, whose vendor tendering is now nearing completion.
The overhaul also connects directly into post-harvest liquidity. Leveraging the decentralised grain storage network, the Centre is preparing pilot frameworks for pledge financing, offering growers credit against stored commodities without altering the existing Minimum Support Price procurement framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new deadline for PACS computerisation?
The Ministry of Cooperation requires all components of the first phase of PACS computerisation to be completed by December 2026, with pending audits finalized by October 2026.
How many new PACS are planned across India?
States have been instructed to bifurcate existing societies and register roughly 95,000 new PACS over the next two to three years.
What technology upgrades are planned for cooperative banks?
NABARD is concluding the tendering process for a uniform Core Banking Solution platform to modernize cooperative bank infrastructure and bolster cybersecurity.
Will pledge financing replace the Minimum Support Price scheme?
No, the government confirmed that pledge financing against decentralised storage will supplement existing MSP procurement, particularly for cereals that lack widespread procurement support.
Source
Press Information Bureau Release No. 2321295, Ministry of Cooperation (Release ID: 2321295) · 2026-10-09
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