Why in News

The Union Agriculture Minister launched the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan from Taraori in Karnal, Haryana.

The campaign will run from 22 October to 30 November 2026 to promote balanced fertiliser use and soil health.

More on the News

• Farmers, scientists and officials joined the launch virtually from KVKs and agricultural institutions across the country.
• Vice-chancellors, the ICAR Director General and scientists have been asked to visit villages and hold meetings on soil health and balanced farming.
• The government bears a fertiliser subsidy of over ₹1.5 lakh crore, so urea costs ₹266 a bag and DAP ₹1,350, but it stressed that cheap fertiliser does not mean excess use.
• Farmers took a pledge to use chemicals in a balanced way, rotate crops, stop burning residue and adopt natural farming.

About the Three Soil-Saving Principles

• Balanced fertiliser use: Farmers should check the nutrient deficiency in their Soil Health Card and apply only the fertilisers needed, in balanced quantities.
• Crop rotation: Farmers should add pulses, such as chickpea, lentil and pigeon pea, to the repeated paddy–wheat cycle. The roots of pulse crops fix nitrogen in the soil.
• Natural farming: Farmers can begin on at least half an acre, using Beejamrit and Ghanjeevamrit made from cow dung, cow urine and soil. This is meant to cut costs, give chemical-free food and improve soil in two to three years.

About Crop Residue and Green Ammonia

• Residue burning: It pollutes the air and destroys soil microorganisms, beneficial insects and earthworms that keep soil fertile.
• Green ammonia: The government said it will help India become self-reliant in fertiliser production in future.

Mains Angle

• Subsidy and overuse: Low fertiliser prices can encourage excess use, and crops absorb only about one-third of the nitrogen in urea. The rest is wasted and harms the environment.
• Soil and human health: The Ministry links heavy chemical use to soil degradation and health risks, which makes soil health a public health concern too.
• Behaviour change: The campaign relies on awareness and Soil Health Cards, so its impact depends on strong extension services.
• Input dependence: Reducing fertiliser use also lowers exposure to fossil-fuel-linked input prices.

Why in News

The Union Education Minister launched the registration portal for the fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0), to be held from 28 November to 12 December 2026.

Its theme is “Thirukkural Payilvom – Thirukkural Abhyas Karen”.

About Kashi Tamil Sangamam

• It celebrates the age-old civilisational links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi and supports the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The first edition was held in 2022.
• It is organised by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, with IIT Madras, BHU and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai.

About KTS 5.0

• Theme: It aims to bring the ethical and moral wisdom of the Thirukkural closer to youth and learners.
• Participants: About 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu, in seven groups of about 200 each, will take an eight-day journey (four days of travel and four days of visits) covering Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya.
• Registration: It opened on 22 October and closes on 13 November. There are seven categories: students, teachers, writers and media professionals, agriculture and allied sectors, professionals and artisans, women, and spiritual leaders.
• Outreach: A students’ engagement programme will run through 1,000 higher education institutions, and Thirukkural experts will visit schools and colleges in Varanasi.

About the Thirukkural

• It is a classical Tamil text of ethical and moral teachings, attributed to Thiruvalluvar.
• It has 1,330 couplets in 133 chapters.