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?

The nation-wide 'Soil Health Card Scheme' was launched by the Government of India with the primary objective of providing farmers with information about the nutrient status of their soil and recommendations on the appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for various crops, aiming to improve productivity and resource efficiency.

1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation: This is incorrect. The scheme's focus is on optimizing nutrient use and productivity in existing farmlands, not on expanding irrigation infrastructure or cultivable area.
2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality: This is incorrect. While soil quality might indirectly factor into overall farm viability, the direct aim of the scheme is not to facilitate loan assessment for banks. Its purpose is to empower farmers with data for better farm management.
3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands: This is correct. A major aim of the scheme is to promote balanced fertilization based on scientific soil analysis, thereby reducing the excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, which can lead to environmental degradation and increased input costs for farmers. Therefore, only statement 3 correctly describes an aim of the scheme.