National resolve to protect Mother Earth: ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ to begin from Raisen on June 1

1. At a Glance

Khet Bachao Abhiyan (“Save the Farmland Campaign”) is a nationwide month-long campaign of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched on 1 June 2026 from Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S1].
It unites KVKs, ICAR institutions, agricultural universities and State agricultural systems on one platform to push balanced fertiliser use, natural farming, and action against fake fertilisers/seeds [S1].
Relevant for GS-III (Agriculture, Soil Health, Cropping Patterns) and GS-II (Government Schemes).

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Khet Bachao Abhiyan from Raisen (MP) on 1 June 2026 as a nationwide people’s movement for the welfare of farmers and farmlands [S1].
Linked field activities are already running, e.g. an awareness programme on sustainable hill agriculture at Lingdum, East Sikkim under Khet Bachao Abhiyan-2026 [S2].

Initiated on the call of Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in 2026 [S1].
Builds on prior soil/fertiliser interventions of the Ministry of Agriculture (Soil Health Card Scheme, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Mission on Natural Farming) — though the Abhiyan itself is the new convergence umbrella [S1].
National launch (Raisen) → cascading State/KVK-level field events (e.g. Sikkim) within first days of June 2026 [S1][S2].

Name: Khet Bachao Abhiyan (Save the Farmland Campaign) [S1].
Launch date & site: 1 June 2026, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh [S1].
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India [S1].
Lead figure: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S1].
Implementation platform: Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ICAR institutions, Agricultural Universities, State agricultural systems [S1].
Three pillars (roadmap): (i) Balanced fertiliser use; (ii) Natural farming; (iii) Action against fake fertilisers and seeds [S1].
Scope: Nationwide people’s movement; field-level outreach including hill-state sustainable agriculture (e.g. East Sikkim) [S1][S2].

Environmental: Targets soil degradation from imbalanced NPK use and chemical overuse; promotes natural farming to protect Mother Earth [S1].
Economic: Reducing fertiliser misuse cuts input costs and subsidy burden; cracking down on fake fertiliser/seed rackets protects farmer incomes [S1].
Administrative / Federal: Convergence model — Centre (ICAR/KVK) + States (state agricultural universities & departments) on a single platform — a cooperative-federalism template for agri-extension [S1].
Scientific / Technological: Leverages ICAR research and KVK extension network for soil-test–based advisory and natural-farming protocols [S1].
Social: Frames farmland protection as a collective/people’s movement (jan andolan) beyond bureaucratic ritual [S1].

1 June 2026: National launch at Raisen, MP by Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S1].
Early June 2026: Khet Bachao Abhiyan-2026 awareness programme on Sustainable Hill Agriculture at Lingdum, East Sikkim under ICAR/KVK extension [S2].

Khet Bachao Abhiyan launched on 1 June 2026 [S1].
National launch site: Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh [S1].
Launched by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S1].
Nodal ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (not MoEFCC) [S1].
Convergence vehicles: KVKs, ICAR, agricultural universities, State agri systems [S1].
Three thrust areas: balanced fertiliser use, natural farming, action against fake fertilisers & seeds [S1].
Hill-state variant: Sustainable Hill Agriculture programme at Lingdum, East Sikkim under Khet Bachao Abhiyan-2026 [S2].
Tag-line theme: “National resolve to protect Mother Earth” [S1].
Positioned as a people’s movement (jan andolan) for farmers & farmlands [S1].
KVKs are under ICAR, which falls under the Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture [S1].

GS-III — Major crops, cropping patterns; issues of buffer stocks; food security; e-technology in aid of farmers; agricultural marketing & subsidies.
GS-II — Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
Possible question stems: 1. “Imbalanced fertiliser use threatens both soil health and the fiscal exchequer. Examine how convergence-based campaigns like the Khet Bachao Abhiyan can address this twin challenge.” 2. “Discuss the role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ICAR in transitioning Indian agriculture to natural farming.” 3. “Fake fertilisers and spurious seeds are a silent tax on Indian farmers. Suggest a regulatory and institutional roadmap.”

Soil Health Card Scheme (2015) — direct policy antecedent on balanced fertiliser use.
National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) — overlapping thrust on chemical-free farming.
PM-PRANAM scheme — incentivises States to reduce chemical fertiliser use.
Nano-urea / Nano-DAP (IFFCO) — technological route to balanced fertilisation.
Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 & Seeds Act, 1966 — statutes against fake inputs.
ICAR–KVK network — extension architecture used by the Abhiyan.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) — organic farming predecessor.
Land degradation & desertification (UNCCD COP-14, Delhi 2019) — environmental link.

Wrong ministry: It is Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, NOT Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [S1].
Wrong launch state: National launch is from Madhya Pradesh (Raisen), not Chouhan’s political base alone — do not assume it is a State scheme [S1].
Confusion with “Save Soil” movement of Isha Foundation — Khet Bachao Abhiyan is a Government of India campaign [S1].
Conflating with NMNF/PKVY — natural farming is one pillar; the Abhiyan also covers fake input enforcement and balanced fertiliser use [S1].
KVK parent body: KVKs are under ICAR, not directly under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

[S1] National resolve to protect Mother Earth: ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ to begin from Raisen on June 1 — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2267236 — (tier: 1)
[S2] ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan-2026’ Awareness Programme on Sustainable Hill Agriculture Held at Lingdum, East Sikkim — Press Information Bureau — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2268049 — (tier: 1)