World Soil Day is observed on December 5 every year, established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2002 and formally recognised by the UN General Assembly in 2013. The theme for World Soil Day 2025 is "Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities", emphasising data-driven, scientifically informed soil management practices to address land degradation, desertification, and food security crises globally.
India's Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, reached a landmark milestone with over 25.55 crore cards distributed across the country by mid-November 2025. The SHC provides farmers with scientifically analysed soil nutrient reports — covering nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, and micronutrients — enabling them to apply fertilisers precisely and reduce input costs while maintaining or improving crop yields.
India's 16 agro-climatic zones present diverse soil management challenges. Rajasthan's Thar Desert region — an arid zone characterised by sandy, low-organic-matter soils — presents unique challenges: high wind erosion, saline patches, and low water retention. The state government, in coordination with the national SHC programme, has focused on wind-break plantations, gypsum application for saline soil reclamation, and drip irrigation to manage soil moisture in semi-arid regions.
The FAO estimates that over 33% of the world's soils are already degraded. In India, approximately 97 million hectares of land suffer some form of degradation. The National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (NAPCD) and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) include soil health components aligned with World Soil Day objectives.
India's commitment to the Bonn Challenge (restoring 26 million hectares by 2030) and the UN Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target further anchors national soil policy within international frameworks.