Consider the following statements:
The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at
- 1.expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
- 2.enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
- 3.checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 3 only
The Soil Health Card Scheme aims at soil-test-based fertiliser use: each farmer gets a card showing the nutrient status of the soil and the dosages to apply, which discourages overuse. It is not an irrigation scheme and it is not a tool for bank lending.
- ✗ 1. Expanding the area under assured irrigation is the aim of a different scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (launched 2015-16). A soil health card only reports what nutrients the soil has.
- ✗ 2. The card gives nutrient recommendations to the farmer. None of the scheme's stated objectives concerns banks assessing loan amounts from soil quality.
- ✓ 3. The card lets a farmer apply only the recommended dosage of nutrients, and the scheme was designed to correct deficiencies and wasteful fertiliser practices, so it checks overuse.
Remember · Soil Health Card (launched 2015): a soil-test report for each farmer, with crop-wise nutrient advice. It is meant to promote balanced fertiliser use, not irrigation or credit.
Sources
- PIB, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Distribution of Soil Health Cards (SHC) for optimal utilization of fertilizers (5 Dec 2018) ↗ “Under the scheme soil health cards are provided to all farmers so as to enable the farmers to apply appropriate recommended dosages of nutrients for crop production and improving soil health and its fertility.”
- PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti: Status of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana ↗ “was launched during the year 2015-16, with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·