Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC)

🔷 “Soil is not just a medium, it is the soul of agriculture.”

The Soil Health Card Scheme is a foundational intervention aimed at making Indian agriculture more data-driven, balanced, and sustainable, by empowering farmers with personalized knowledge of their soil’s health.

Quick Overview

Aspect	Details
Type	Centrally Sponsored Scheme (sub-component under RKVY Cafeteria)
Parent Scheme (current)	Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Cafeteria (Soil Health & Fertility)
Earlier Component of	National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) till 2021–22
Launch Year	2014–15
Frequency	Once every 3 years per landholding
Cost to Farmer	Free of cost; ₹190 per sample reimbursed to states

Core Objectives

1. Disseminate soil test-based nutrient management advice to all farmers.
2. Increase nutrient use efficiency and promote balanced fertilization.
3. Improve the functionality of Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) via training and integration.
4. Facilitate location-specific and crop-specific soil health solutions.
5. Integrate technology and GIS mapping for soil data digitization.

What is a Soil Health Card (SHC)?

A printed report card, provided once every 3 years, indicating 12 parameters of soil health.

12 Parameters Assessed:

Nutrients

Category	Nutrients
Macronutrients	Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K)
Secondary	Sulphur (S)
Micronutrients	Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B)

Soil Properties

Physical/Chemical	Parameters
pH	Soil acidity/alkalinity
EC	Electrical Conductivity (salinity measure)
Organic Carbon	Indicator of fertility and microbial life

SHC Also Includes:

• Fertilizer recommendations
• Suggestions for soil amendments (e.g., lime, gypsum)
• Available in regional languages and dialects

Implementation and Execution

Where is Soil Testing Done?

1. Govt-owned STLs (central/state)
2. ICAR institutes (incl. KVKs, SAUs)
3. Science Colleges & Universities (under faculty supervision)

Referral Labs for Quality Assurance

• 1% of samples must be re-tested in Referral Labs
• Ensures accuracy and standardization
• States expected to establish Referral Labs gradually

Village Level Mini Soil Testing Labs

To decentralize soil testing and make it accessible & localised:

• Set up by:
  • Rural youth
  • SHGs, FPOs, Schools, Agri Universities
• Approved by:
  • District Level Empowered Committee (DLEC)

This enables crop-specific and region-specific soil management.

Technological Interventions

Tool	Function
SHC Portal	Standardized SHC generation, now GIS integrated
Mobile App	Sample tracking, data capture, farmer alerts
GIS Mapping	Spatial analysis of nutrient deficiencies

Funding and Costing

• ₹190 per sample paid to States by Centre.
• Covers collection, testing, printing, and SHC delivery.
• No financial burden on farmers.

Practical Benefits for Farmers

• Accurate fertilizer application – saves cost, improves yield.
• Avoids overuse of nitrogenous fertilizers (esp. urea).
• Addresses micronutrient deficiencies like Zinc & Boron.
• Encourages organic carbon enrichment via composting.
• Improves soil structure, microbial activity, and long-term productivity.

Convergence with Other Schemes

Scheme	Linkage
RKVY Cafeteria	Integrated under Soil Health & Fertility Component
PM-KISAN	Financial aid for SHC-guided agri-inputs
National Mission on Natural Farming	Organic methods promoted based on SHC insights
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)	Encourages non-chemical soil management

🧠 UPSC Mains Linkages

GS Paper 3 – Agriculture:

• “Discuss the significance of soil test-based nutrient management in enhancing the productivity and sustainability of Indian agriculture. Examine the role of the Soil Health Card Scheme in this regard.”

Sample Answer Framework (for UPSC Mains)

“Soil Health Card Scheme is a flagship government initiative to address the ‘invisible crisis’ of soil degradation in India. It adopts a scientific, decentralized, and tech-driven approach to enable sustainable nutrient management and promote resource-efficient agriculture.”

• Intro: Problem of soil degradation, inefficient fertilizer use.
• Body:
  • Objectives, features of SHC
  • Role in nutrient-use efficiency, sustainability
  • Technological and institutional support
  • Integration with larger agriculture reforms
• Conclusion: Towards “Swasth Dharti, Swasth Kisan”.