Question 72
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?
AOptions
BSolution
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.
CStrategy
For government schemes, always identify their primary objectives and direct impacts. Be cautious of statements that attribute secondary or indirect effects as primary aims, or those that associate the scheme with unrelated policy goals.
DSyllabus Analysis
This question falls under Agriculture and Government Schemes, specifically initiatives related to soil management and farmer welfare.
EQuestion Analysis
Easy. The primary objective of the Soil Health Card Scheme, which is to promote balanced use of fertilizers, is widely publicized.