Aspirant Academy

Geography

Current Affairs Integration

Soil Resources of Rajasthan

Paper II · Unit 3 Section 13 of 15 0 PYQs 46 min
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Current Affairs Integration

Recent Developments

  • Soil Health Card Scheme — Phase 3 Revamp (2023-24): The Government of India revised the SHC scheme in 2023 to increase testing frequency to once every 2 years (from once in 2 years already, now with digital SHC via mobile app) and expanded the portal to allow farmers to directly upload GPS-tagged field photos. Rajasthan Agriculture Department issued updated digital SHCs to ~15 lakh farmers in 2023-24.

  • IGNP Waterlogging Remediation — Sub-surface Drainage Project (2023): Rajasthan Water Resources Department, with World Bank technical support, launched a sub-surface drainage pilot covering 12,000 ha in Hanumangarh and Ganganagar in 2023 to reclaim waterlogged IGNP command areas. Initial results (2024) show water table recession of 0.5–0.8 m in pilot zones.

  • National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) (January 2024): The Government of India launched NMNF as an independent mission (separated from PKVY), targeting 1 crore farmers over 5 years. Rajasthan has enrolled ~4.2 lakh farmers in NMNF in 2024, focusing on soil organic carbon restoration in arid and semi-arid districts.

  • CAZRI's Aravalli Afforestation Initiative (2024-25): ICAR-CAZRI Jodhpur, in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department, launched a targeted afforestation programme for degraded southern Aravalli slopes covering 25,000 ha by 2026, primarily to arrest sheet erosion and restore soil organic matter in Pali, Sirohi, and Rajsamand districts.

  • Rajasthan Budget 2024-25 — Soil Health: The state budget allocated ₹45 crore for procurement of 8 additional mobile soil testing vans to expand farmer-level testing reach in tribal and remote districts (Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh).

Potential Exam Questions from Current Affairs

  1. Possible question: The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched from which state and when? What are the 12 parameters tested?
    Answer pointers: Suratgarh, Rajasthan; 19 February 2015; pH, EC, OC, N, P, K, S, Zn, B, Fe, Mn, Cu; 72.66 lakh cards issued by Rajasthan in Cycles 1+2.

  2. Possible question: What is secondary salinization and how has IGNP contributed to it in Rajasthan?
    Answer pointers: Secondary salinization = salt accumulation from rising water table due to over-irrigation; IGNP raised water table from >30m to <2m in parts of Ganganagar/Hanumangarh; ~1.54 lakh ha waterlogged; remedies: sub-surface drainage, canal lining, drip irrigation, crop switching.

  3. Possible question: Name the soil types found in the Hadoti region and state their agricultural importance.
    Answer pointers: Black (regur/Vertisols) dominate Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar; alluvial in river valleys; high moisture retention supports soybean (Rajasthan = India's 3rd largest producer), cotton, chickpea; Kota Barrage irrigation enhances productivity.