Current Affairs · · GS3 · Economy

Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan – Rabi 2026

Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan – Rabi 2026 is a nationwide campaign running from 22 October to 30 November 2026. It aims to reach about 50 lakh farmers across 700 districts and 50,000 villages. It promotes soil health, balanced fertiliser use, natural farming, crop diversification and climate-resilient agriculture.

Event date:

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  1. Note1 / 5

    ABOUT THE SCHEME

    • Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan (KBA) – Rabi 2026 is a nationwide campaign on "Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture".
    • Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched it from Karnal, Haryana, on 22 October 2026. It runs until 30 November.
    • It covers 34 States and Union Territories, about 700 districts and 50,000 villages, and targets around 50 lakh farmers.
    • States must prioritise 100 districts with high fertiliser consumption.
    • It addresses imbalanced nutrient use, declining soil organic matter, rising cultivation costs and degradation of natural resources.
  2. Note2 / 5

    KEY OBJECTIVES

    The campaign has eight priority areas. The table summarises each one.

    ObjectiveWhat it involves
    Balanced nutrient managementUsing fertiliser according to crop needs, based on general fertiliser recommendations
    Integrated nutrient managementCombining chemical fertilisers with suitable organic and biological inputs
    Natural farmingAwareness, training, demonstrations and farmer-to-farmer learning
    Crop residue managementSustainable residue practices and discouraging stubble burning
    Crop diversificationMore oilseeds and pulses, and use of fields left fallow after rice
    Climate-resilient agricultureLocation-specific contingency plans for drought-affected areas
    Integrated pest managementAwareness of pesticide quality and safe use
    Scheme awarenessInforming farmers about government schemes and their benefits

    The campaign also promotes water conservation, farm mechanisation and regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture means farming methods that restore soil health and biodiversity.

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    ACTIVITIES AND OUTREACH TARGETS

    The campaign uses about 4,150 teams of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and ATMA staff. More than 12,000 scientists and ATMA officials support them. The table shows the planned activities.

    ActivityPlanned scaleFarmers targeted
    Awareness programmes5,65028.25 lakh
    Training sessions11,7504.70 lakh
    Field demonstrations50,000About 10 lakh
    Field days, harvest days and exposure visits–10 lakh
    Social media outreach–1.5 crore, expanding to 2.5 crore digitally

    Digital outreach runs through WhatsApp, Facebook, X and other platforms.

    The awareness drive covers eight schemes and services. They are PM-KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, Kisan Credit Cards, Soil Health Cards and Farmer IDs. The others are balanced pesticide use, trade agreements and the fertiliser sale framework.

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    WHO DOES WHAT

    The campaign follows a convergence approach, linking departments, research bodies and field staff. The table sets out each role.

    InstitutionRole
    State and UT agriculture departmentsLead campaign planning and implementation
    ATMA and district agriculture administrationCoordinate activities, prepare micro-plans and mobilise farmers
    ICAR institutes, ATARIs, KVKs and agricultural universitiesRun training, demonstrations and farmer-scientist meetings
    Other State departmentsSupport work across agriculture and allied sectors
    Cooperatives, FPOs, SHGs, PACS, CHCs and progressive farmersMobilise farmers and support peer learning
    Media and communication partnersSpread awareness and knowledge
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    KEY CONCEPTS

    1. What is ATMA?

    The Agricultural Technology Management Agency is a district-level body. It links farmers, researchers and extension staff to spread farm technology.

    1. What is a Krishi Vigyan Kendra?

    A KVK is a district farm science centre, mostly under ICAR. It tests and demonstrates new technologies on farmers' fields.

    1. What does balanced fertiliser use mean?

    It means applying nutrients in the amounts a crop and soil need, ideally based on soil testing. Overusing one nutrient, often urea, damages soil and raises costs.

    1. What are rice-fallow areas?

    These are fields left empty after the kharif rice harvest. Sowing pulses or oilseeds in them adds a second crop without new land.

Sources

Syllabus

PaperSubjectSub-topic
GS3EconomyAgriculture, cropping patterns, farm inputs, extension services and soil health
PrelimsEnvironmentGovernment schemes and current events; sustainable agriculture, balanced fertiliser use, KVKs and ATMA

Topics

Agriculture and EnvironmentAgriculture GeographyAgriculture Economy

Related previous-year questions

Asked in earlier UPSC Prelims papers on this topic. Answer, then check.

  1. UPSC Prelims 2017 · Indian Economy · Agriculture Economy

    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?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: B. VERDICT: The answer is 3 only. The Soil Health Card Scheme aims at checking the overuse of fertilisers, not at expanding irrigation or guiding bank lending. ANALYSIS: Statement 3 is CORRECT. Launched in February 2015, the scheme issues a card carrying crop wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilisers required for each individual holding, so that farmers apply what the soil actually needs and stop over applying urea. Statement 1 is INCORRECT. Expanding area under irrigation is the objective of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, a different programme. Statement 2 is INCORRECT. The card carries no function in credit appraisal and banks do not size loans from soil quality. SOURCE: Press Information Bureau release and press reporting on the scheme. Source type EN. HOW TO CRACK IT: Read the instrument to find the objective, since a card that reports soil nutrient status can only act on what farmers apply to the soil, which is fertiliser. It cannot create water and it is not a financial document. Asking what the scheme physically delivers, and then asking what that deliverable can possibly change, filters out plausible sounding objectives borrowed from neighbouring schemes, which is how these distractors are built.

    Difficulty: easy · statement

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

Practice questions

  1. With reference to Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan – Rabi 2026, consider the following statements: 1. It runs from 22 October to 30 November 2026; 2. It targets around 50 lakh farmers; 3. It is implemented only through private agri-tech firms. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The campaign is run by State agriculture departments, ATMA, KVKs, ICAR institutes and agricultural universities.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  2. Which of the following are among the priority areas of Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan – Rabi 2026? 1. Balanced nutrient management 2. Crop residue management 3. Use of rice-fallow areas for oilseeds and pulses 4. Expansion of sugarcane area. Select the correct answer:

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 1, 2 and 3 only
    3. 2, 3 and 4 only
    4. 1, 2, 3 and 4
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The campaign promotes oilseeds and pulses in rice fallows, not sugarcane expansion.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  3. The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) mainly functions at which level?

    1. National
    2. State
    3. District
    4. Gram Panchayat
    Show answer

    Answer: C. ATMA is a district-level body that coordinates agricultural extension and links farmers with research.

    Difficulty: easy · statement

Mains practice

Answer-writing practice on this article. Attempt it first, then open the hints.

  1. GS3 · 250 words

    Imbalanced fertiliser use threatens soil health and farm incomes in India. Discuss how extension campaigns such as Khet Bachaao Abhiyaan can address this, and their limits.

    Show hints
    1. Explain nutrient imbalance and falling soil organic matter
    2. describe the campaign's priorities and convergence model
    3. cover KVKs, ATMA and digital outreach
    4. note limits such as short duration, input subsidies and the need for follow-up