India is an agriculture-oriented country. So, Government of India launches various innovative programmes to assist the farmers every once in a while. Soil is one of the critical factors that decide cultivation and productivity of a crop at the end of the season. Therefore, checking soil health is essential.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC) on 19th February 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.

Read the full article to know more about this scheme.

Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC) is a Government of India initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture and promoted by the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation. The Department of Agriculture implements this scheme in all states and union territories.

SHC scheme was brought into action by PM Narendra Modi for the welfare of farmers. Soil health card provided to the farmers helps them understand the nutrient status of the soil. Due to this, farmers can know about the crops that they can plant in the soil and get maximum yield while harvesting it. SHC scheme also helps farmers get an idea of the dosage of fertilisers and changes required to maintain soil health in the long run.

Due to a lack of education, most farmers in India are uncertain about the outcome of their cultivation. A Soil Health Card helps them understand the nutrient status of soil and amount of fertilisers necessary to get the best yield. This card is provided to farmers once every two years. SHC scheme looks forward to making soil testing facilities available at farmers' doorsteps.

Some notable features of this scheme are as follows –

• As this programme is centrally funded, it is implemented in all parts of the country.
• A soil health card is issued to farmers every two years. It is a printed report that includes soil information of all landholdings of the farmer.
• Farmers can get to know about soil health conditions and get recommendations on improving soil fertility.
• This scheme promotes sustainable agriculture due to reduced use of chemical fertilisers.
• Authorities check 12 main guidelines of soil during the testing of samples during the testing of samples.

Village youth and farmers up to 40 years of age can set up Soil Health Laboratories under the Soil Health Card Scheme. Central and respective State Governments will fund 75% of laboratory costs.

The benefits of Soil Health Card scheme are as follows –

• Soil report provided to farmers helps them decide which crops they can cultivate and vice versa.
• Authorities monitor this soil regularly and they provide farmers with the latest data about the soil. Farmers get to know changes in the nature of soil from the data provided to them.
• Government-employed experts assist farmers in carrying out any restorative measures if required.
• Farmers can plan the future of their crops and land after studying the soil health report.

Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for Soil Health Card Scheme online.

• Step 1 – Visit the official Soil Health Card Scheme website. Click on the login option on the website's homepage.
• Step 2 – Then select your state and click on ‘Continue’. Next, select ‘Register New User’ from the login window.
• Step 3 – On the application page, fill out the information like User Organisation Details, Language, User Details, User Login Account Details and Other Details. Then, click on 'Submit'.
• Step 4 – Then login with your username and password from the login tab on the homepage.
• Step 5 – Finally, you will get an option to apply for a Soil Health Card.

Soil Health Card programme has led to an 8-10% decline in use of chemical fertilisers, according to National Productivity Council (NPC).