More than 9.42 lakh farmers have joined the ‘Save the Farm Campaign’, giving balanced fertiliser use the character of a mass movement

1. At a Glance

'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' is a nationwide, time-bound mass-outreach campaign by the Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare to promote balanced fertiliser use, soil-test-based nutrient management, and sustainable farming [S1][S2].
Treated by Government of India as a "mass movement" — 9.42 lakh+ farmers connected as of 4 June 2026 [S1].
Relevant for UPSC because it intersects soil health, fertiliser subsidy reform, PM-PRANAM, Soil Health Card, Nano fertilisers, and Sustainable Agriculture under GS-III (Agriculture) [S1][S5].

2. Why in the News

PIB release dated 5 June 2026 announced that 9.42 lakh+ farmers have joined the campaign, with 17,834 awareness programmes, 3,698 training sessions, and 8,850 demonstrations conducted as of 4 June 2026 [S1].
Campaign was launched by Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Raisen, Madhya Pradesh and is being run 1–30 June 2026 across the country [S2][S3].

3. Background & Evolution

India's fertiliser consumption is skewed toward urea, causing N:P:K imbalance and soil degradation — the policy driver behind balanced-use campaigns [S5].
Soil Health Card Scheme (launched 2015) provided the data infrastructure; PM-PRANAM (approved by CCEA, June 2023) created fiscal incentives to states reducing chemical fertiliser use [S5][S6].
Khet Bachao Abhiyan operationalises these by ground-level outreach; it follows the earlier Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan mass-campaign template used by Min. of Agriculture [S3].
Implementation backbone: 1,650+ field teams + 500+ special campaign teams with ICAR scientists; covers all districts [S4].

4. Core Static Facts

Name: Khet Bachao Abhiyan ("Save the Farm Campaign") [S1].
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (Union) [S1].
Scientific arm: ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) — including ICAR-CPRI Shimla, ICAR-NRCO Pakyong, CIPMC Shillong [S2][S4].
Duration: 1–30 June 2026 (month-long) [S2][S3].
Launch site: Raisen, Madhya Pradesh; launched by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S3].
Coverage figures (as of 4 June 2026): 9.42 lakh+ farmers connected; 17,834 awareness programmes; 3,698 trainings; 8,850 demonstrations [S1].
Earlier ICAR cumulative figures: 12,979 awareness camps, 7.17 lakh farmers, 3,145 trainings (1,11,509 participants), 7,928 demonstrations [S4].
Thematic pillars: (i) Soil-test-based balanced fertiliser use; (ii) Soil Health Card recommendations; (iii) Natural/organic farming; (iv) Bio-fertilisers, green manure; (v) Safe crop protection [S2][S4].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic - Reducing urea/DAP overuse can shrink India's fertiliser subsidy bill; PM-PRANAM gives states 50% of subsidy savings as incentive [S6]. - Lower input cost per acre raises farm net income.

Environmental - Tackles soil acidification, eutrophication, micronutrient depletion caused by NPK imbalance [S5]. - Promotes green manuring, bio-fertilisers, organic sources — aligns with sustainable agriculture and SDG-15 [S4].

Scientific / Technological - Pushes Nano Urea Plus and Nano DAP — promoted across 15 agro-climatic zones; field demonstrations in 100 districts [S6]. - Integrates Soil Health Card field-specific nutrient data for precision dosing [S6].

Administrative / Federal - Joint Centre-State execution; village-level outreach by district agriculture officers + ICAR scientists [S3][S4]. - Mass-mobilisation model replicates Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (2025) [S3].

Social - Targets smallholder awareness gap — bulk of fertiliser misuse is at marginal-farmer level; demonstrations and trainings target behavioural change [S4].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

June 2026: Khet Bachao Abhiyan launched nationwide from Raisen, MP [S3].
5 June 2026 (World Environment Day): PIB reports 9.42 lakh farmers enrolled [S1].
Earlier in 2026: ICAR-CPRI launched its own Khet Bachao Abhiyan to promote balanced fertiliser use in potato belts [S2].
Campaign earlier reached 2.712 crore citizens; 7.17 lakh farmers sensitised [S4].
Nano DAP Maha Abhiyan + Nano Urea Plus campaign in 100 districts running in parallel [S6].

7. Prelims Hooks

'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' is run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, NOT Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers [S1].
Campaign duration: 1–30 June 2026 [S2].
Launched from Raisen, Madhya Pradesh by Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S3].
Farmers connected as of 4 June 2026: 9.42 lakh+ [S1].
Awareness programmes: 17,834; Training sessions: 3,698; Demonstrations: 8,850 [S1].
Implementation involves 1,650+ field teams with ICAR scientists [S4].
PM-PRANAM (CCEA-approved June 2023) gives States 50% of fertiliser subsidy savings as incentive [S6].
PM-PRANAM full form: PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth [S5][S6].
Soil Health Card Scheme launched 2015 — provides field-specific NPK and micronutrient recommendations [S6].
Nano DAP promoted across 15 agro-climatic zones of India [S6].
Nano Urea Plus field-level campaign covers 100 districts [S6].
ICAR institutions visibly involved: ICAR-CPRI (Shimla), ICAR-NRCO (Pakyong, Sikkim), CIPMC (Shillong) [S2].
Distinguishing analogue: Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is a separate earlier outreach campaign by same Ministry [S3].

8. Mains Relevance

GS-III — Major crops & cropping patterns; Issues related to direct & indirect farm subsidies and MSP; e-technology in aid of farmers; sustainable agriculture.
GS-II — Government policies & interventions for agricultural sector.
Plausible question stems: 1. "Imbalanced fertiliser use is as much an environmental crisis as it is a fiscal one." Examine in light of recent campaigns like Khet Bachao Abhiyan and PM-PRANAM. 2. Discuss the role of soil-test-based nutrient management in achieving sustainable agriculture in India. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of mass-outreach campaigns by the Union Ministry of Agriculture in changing on-farm input practices.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

PM-PRANAM Scheme — fiscal twin of Khet Bachao Abhiyan [S6].
Soil Health Card Scheme (2015) — diagnostic backbone.
Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime & Urea subsidy — explains the distortion.
Nano Urea & Nano DAP (IFFCO) — alternate fertiliser technology.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) — organic farming sister scheme.
National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) — overlapping objective.
Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (2025) — predecessor outreach campaign [S3].
ICAR & Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) — last-mile extension architecture.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

Wrong ministry: it is Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, NOT Chemicals & Fertilisers (which runs PM-PRANAM jointly) [S1][S6].
Confusing Khet Bachao Abhiyan with Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan — both are mass campaigns by Shivraj Singh Chouhan but different in scope and year [S3].
Treating it as a statutory scheme — it is a campaign/abhiyan, not a CSS with a budget head.
PM-PRANAM offers states 50% (not 100%) of subsidy savings as incentive [S6].
Soil Health Card was launched in 2015, not under Khet Bachao Abhiyan; the abhiyan only uses the card.

11. Sources

[S1] Press Release — 9.42 lakh farmers under Khet Bachao Abhiyan — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2269511 — (tier 1)
[S2] ICAR-CPRI Launches 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2267585 — (tier 1)
[S3] Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches Nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan from Raisen — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2267507 — (tier 1)
[S4] 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' reaches 2.712 Crore Citizens; 7.17 Lakh Farmers Sensitised — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2264122 — (tier 1)
[S5] Balanced Use of Fertilizers: A Key Enabler of Sustainable Farming — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2221117 — (tier 1)
[S6] PM-PRANAM Scheme: Incentivising States/UTs to Reduce Chemical Fertilizer Use — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2239623 — (tier 1)