RAS question
The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme in India tests soil for how many parameters?
Correct answer: (C) 12 parameters.
The Soil Health Card scheme tests soil for 12 parameters covering major nutrients, micronutrients, pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon.
Explanation
The Soil Health Card scheme uses a fixed 12-parameter soil profile, which is why 12 is the tested number. The PIB release says the card records soil status for N, P, K and S, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron, along with pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon. In full, the 12 are pH, EC, OC, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, zinc, iron, manganese, copper and boron. This matters because the card is not only a nutrient list: it links soil condition to fertiliser recommendations and soil amendments for the farmer's field. The scheme was launched in 2015, and cards are issued every two years to farmers.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Six parameters would leave out several listed nutrient and soil-condition indicators, while the SHC profile is explicitly a 12-parameter test.
- (B) Nine parameters undercounts the scheme because the card includes the nutrient set plus pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon, making 12 in all.
- (D) Eighteen is an overestimate; the official SHC list stops at 12 parameters: N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, B, pH, EC and OC.
Concept
This tests agricultural technology and government schemes, especially how soil testing supports rational fertiliser use. RAS often asks such factual scheme details because they connect science, agriculture and farmer-facing public policy.