National Resolve to Protect Mother Earth: Khet Bachao Abhiyan to Begin from Raisen, Madhya Pradesh on June 1

📌 Summary:

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to launch nationwide "Khet Bachao Abhiyan" from Ramsiya village, Raisen district (Madhya Pradesh) on 1 June 2026

• Stated objective: protect Mother Earth, secure the future of agriculture, safeguard rights of future generations; framed as a national people''s movement, not a ritual

• Drivers identified: rising temperatures; indiscriminate/imbalanced use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides; deteriorating soil health; growing climate crisis

• Focus areas: balanced fertiliser use, soil testing and Soil Health Cards, natural farming, crop selection, water conservation, green manuring, alternatives for low-rainfall conditions, and identification of counterfeit fertilisers/seeds/pesticides

• Convergence model: Centre + State Governments + ICAR + KVKs + agricultural universities + state agriculture systems + MPs/MLAs + farmer-support organisations on a single platform

• Implementation roadmap up to 30 June: officer/scientist/institution assigned per village per date; dashboard-based monitoring; district-level pre-planning; effective coordination at every stage

• Linked schemes to amplify outreach: Kisan Credit Card (KCC), PM-KISAN, Crop Insurance (PMFBY), Soil Health Cards, Mini Seed Kits, Pulses & Oilseeds Mission, Agricultural Mechanisation programmes

• Political outreach: Chouhan held phone calls with all State CMs to seek participation; appealed to Union Ministers to join; will personally visit villages across States and interact with farmers

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Agriculture: soil health, sustainable agriculture, natural farming, balanced fertiliser use, input regulation (counterfeit detection); GS2 — government schemes; cooperative federalism; convergence of agencies; environmental ethics in farming.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• KVK = Krishi Vigyan Kendra (district-level farm-science centres under ICAR)
• ICAR = Indian Council of Agricultural Research (apex body for agricultural research/education in India; headquartered in New Delhi)
• Soil Health Card Scheme: launched 19 February 2015 from Suratgarh, Rajasthan; provides farmers a card with 12 soil parameters and crop-specific nutrient recommendations
• PM-KISAN: ₹6,000/year direct income support to landholding farmer families in 3 equal instalments
• PMFBY = Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme; launched 2016)
• Pulses & Oilseeds: NMEO-OP (Oil Palm, 2021) and NMEO-Oilseeds — National Missions on Edible Oils

🔑 Key Term: Khet Bachao Abhiyan — nationwide farm-protection campaign (June 2026) under MoA&FW emphasising balanced fertiliser use, soil health, natural farming, water conservation and detection of counterfeit agricultural inputs.