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 [1][2].
• Treated by Government of India as a "mass movement" — 9.42 lakh+ farmers connected as of 4 June 2026 [1].
• 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) [1][5].

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 [1].
• 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 [2][3].

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 [5].
• 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 [5][6].
• 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 [3].
• Implementation backbone: 1,650+ field teams + 500+ special campaign teams with ICAR scientists; covers all districts [4].

4. Core Static Facts

• Name: Khet Bachao Abhiyan ("Save the Farm Campaign") [1].
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (Union) [1].
• Scientific arm: ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) — including ICAR-CPRI Shimla, ICAR-NRCO Pakyong, CIPMC Shillong [2][4].
• Duration: 1–30 June 2026 (month-long) [2][3].
• Launch site: Raisen, Madhya Pradesh; launched by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan [3].
• Coverage figures (as of 4 June 2026): 9.42 lakh+ farmers connected; 17,834 awareness programmes; 3,698 trainings; 8,850 demonstrations [1].
• Earlier ICAR cumulative figures: 12,979 awareness camps, 7.17 lakh farmers, 3,145 trainings (1,11,509 participants), 7,928 demonstrations [4].
• 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 [2][4].

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 [6].
• Lower input cost per acre raises farm net income.

Environmental

• Tackles soil acidification, eutrophication, micronutrient depletion caused by NPK imbalance [5].
• Promotes green manuring, bio-fertilisers, organic sources — aligns with sustainable agriculture and SDG-15 [4].

Scientific / Technological

• Pushes Nano Urea Plus and Nano DAP — promoted across 15 agro-climatic zones; field demonstrations in 100 districts [6].
• Integrates Soil Health Card field-specific nutrient data for precision dosing [6].

Administrative / Federal

• Joint Centre-State execution; village-level outreach by district agriculture officers + ICAR scientists [3][4].
• Mass-mobilisation model replicates Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (2025) [3].

Social

• Targets smallholder awareness gap — bulk of fertiliser misuse is at marginal-farmer level; demonstrations and trainings target behavioural change [4].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• June 2026: Khet Bachao Abhiyan launched nationwide from Raisen, MP [3].
• 5 June 2026 (World Environment Day): PIB reports 9.42 lakh farmers enrolled [1].
• Earlier in 2026: ICAR-CPRI launched its own Khet Bachao Abhiyan to promote balanced fertiliser use in potato belts [2].
• Campaign earlier reached 2.712 crore citizens; 7.17 lakh farmers sensitised [4].
• Nano DAP Maha Abhiyan + Nano Urea Plus campaign in 100 districts running in parallel [6].

7. Prelims Hooks

• 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' is run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, NOT Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers [1].
• Campaign duration: 1–30 June 2026 [2].
• Launched from Raisen, Madhya Pradesh by Shivraj Singh Chouhan [3].
• Farmers connected as of 4 June 2026: 9.42 lakh+ [1].
• Awareness programmes: 17,834; Training sessions: 3,698; Demonstrations: 8,850 [1].
• Implementation involves 1,650+ field teams with ICAR scientists [4].
• PM-PRANAM (CCEA-approved June 2023) gives States 50% of fertiliser subsidy savings as incentive [6].
• PM-PRANAM full form: PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth [5][6].
• Soil Health Card Scheme launched 2015 — provides field-specific NPK and micronutrient recommendations [6].
• Nano DAP promoted across 15 agro-climatic zones of India [6].
• Nano Urea Plus field-level campaign covers 100 districts [6].
• ICAR institutions visibly involved: ICAR-CPRI (Shimla), ICAR-NRCO (Pakyong, Sikkim), CIPMC (Shillong) [2].
• Distinguishing analogue: Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is a separate earlier outreach campaign by same Ministry [3].

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 [6].
• 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 [3].
• 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) [1][6].
• Confusing Khet Bachao Abhiyan with Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan — both are mass campaigns by Shivraj Singh Chouhan but different in scope and year [3].
• 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 [6].
• Soil Health Card was launched in 2015, not under Khet Bachao Abhiyan; the abhiyan only uses the card.