Consider the following statements : The nation-wide 'Soil Health Card Scheme' aims at 1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation. 2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality. 3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

Reference [3] describes the Soil Health Card scheme as providing farmers information on soil nutrient status and lists parameters recorded on the card.

High-yield for policy and agriculture questions: understanding the SHC's core objective (soil nutrient assessment and fertilizer recommendations) helps distinguish it from unrelated aims like irrigation expansion. Connects to topics on agricultural inputs, soil testing, and state implementation responsibilities; useful for questions asking to identify correct/incorrect scheme objectives or compare schemes.

References [5], [6], and [9] provide data and descriptions on the proportion of cultivated land under irrigation and statewise variation, which is the policy area distinct from soil-health interventions.

Important for questions distinguishing between soil management and irrigation policy. Knowing NIA concepts, national percentages, and state disparities helps answer questions on resource allocation, agricultural productivity, and scheme targeting. Links to topics on multiple cropping, rural development, and irrigation programmes.

Reference [10] highlights how excessive inorganic fertilizer use affects soil fertility and how irrigation (e.g., canal water) can cause secondary salinization; reference [3] links SHC to soil nutrient information relevant for managing fertilizer use.

Helps answer integrative questions on why soil testing matters and how soil-health interventions relate to—but are not the same as—irrigation expansion. Useful for essay and mains answers on sustainable agriculture, soil conservation, and integrated land-water-soil management policies.

SHC is described in the references as a scheme launched to provide each farmer information on the soil nutrient status and specific parameters for their land.

High-yield for UPSC: questions often ask aims and features of flagship agricultural schemes. Knowing that SHC provides soil nutrient diagnostics (and the parameters reported) helps answer questions on fertilizer management and soil health policy. This links to topics on sustainable agriculture and scheme implementation.

KCC is presented in the references as a major scheme to provide short-term agriculture loans and credit facilities to farmers through banks and rural credit institutions.

High-yield for UPSC: many questions probe institutional credit for agriculture (schemes, interest/subvention, implementing agencies). Mastering KCC helps answer items on rural credit delivery, interest subvention policy, and roles of banks/Cooperatives/NABARD.

References discuss why banks might be unwilling to lend small farmers, and describe the institutional set-up (cooperatives, commercial banks, RRBs, NABARD) involved in rural credit.

High-yield for UPSC: understanding what factors (farmer size, risk, collateral, institutional channels) influence bank lending helps evaluate policy measures and schemes that aim to expand credit. This concept connects banking, rural development, and agricultural policy questions.

SHC provides farmers with soil test results and lists multiple nutrient parameters; this is central to controlling fertilizer use.

High-yield for UPSC: understanding SHC mechanism explains how policy tools enable scientific, site-specific fertilizer recommendations. Connects to questions on agricultural schemes, sustainable agriculture and scheme implementation. Enables answer framing that links diagnostics (soil tests) to policy outcomes (reduced overuse).