India’s soil is not inert matter beneath our feet; it is a living, breathing system that nourishes our farms, sustains our economy, and anchors our food security. Beneath every hectare of cultivated land lies an intricate ecosystem of microorganisms, minerals, and organic matter that silently powers our agricultural engine. Yet, as the country moves towards its vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, this living foundation is showing signs of exhaustion. Decades of chemical-intensive farming, topsoil erosion, and declining organic content have pushed India’s soils to a tipping point. Restoring soil health is no longer an agricultural priority alone — it is a national mission essential for economic sumptuousness, ecological well-being, and climate resilience.

In the present context, climate-resilient future calls for adaptive actions integrated with grassroots innovations like on-farm and off-farm actions that revive soil health and rural prosperity. On-farm actions such as direct-seeded rice, zero-tillage wheat, and alternate wetting and drying in rice cultivation can help rebuild organic matter, ensure judicious use of fresh water and reduce carbon emissions. Off-farm alternatives — like mushroom farming, bee-keeping, and integrated aquaculture — offer diversified livelihoods and improve ecosystem resilience for marginalised farming communities. However, we must mention the support system established by the government to nourish such innovative efforts.

The Government of India’s Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme has been one of such commendable steps aimed at translating soil science into farmer-centric practice. Launched in 2015, the initiative has provided over 25 crore farmers with detailed nutrient profiles of their soil and helped them to reduce the overuse of fertilizer application leading to the improved organic carbon in soil. Further evidence of its success is compelling: fertilizer efficiency has improved, and yields of major crops like wheat, paddy, sugarcane, and pulses have seen measurable gains. These are not isolated outcomes but signs that when science and policy align, transformation follows.

However, for India to truly unlock the potential of its soil wealth, the next phase must move beyond assessment to adoption which may lead to adaptation to the changing climatic scenarios. Policies must evolve from paper to practice, and........

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