[Answered] Justify self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds as a critical step for India’s nutritional security. Evaluate its potential to enhance soil health and water conservation.

Introduction

India imports 60% of its edible oils and 15% of its pulses, despite being the world’s largest pulse consumer. Achieving self-sufficiency aligns with FAO’s “Nutrition through Sustainable Agriculture” vision.

Self-Sufficiency and Nutritional Security

1. Addressing Protein Deficiency and Malnutrition: Pulses are the primary protein source for 70% of vegetarians in India. According to NFHS-5, 36% of children under five suffer from stunting due to protein-energy malnutrition. Enhancing domestic pulse production under the ₹11,440 crore “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–31)” can meet per capita nutritional requirements while reducing import dependence.
2. Reducing Import Dependence and Price Volatility: India spends nearly ₹1.5 lakh crore annually on edible oil imports, impacting the current account and food inflation.
   Self-sufficiency would stabilize domestic prices, protect consumers from global shocks (as seen post-Ukraine conflict), and strengthen food sovereignty under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
3. Boosting Agricultural Income and Crop Diversification: Currently, 80% of India’s irrigated area is under rice and wheat. Diversifying toward pulses and oilseeds aligns with NITI Aayog’s Model Act on Crop Diversification (2022), ensuring remunerative income, especially in rainfed regions that constitute 55% of cultivated land. Example: Madhya Pradesh’s success in soybean revolution through supportive MSP and extension services illustrates how diversification can boost income and soil health.

Enhancing Soil Health

1. Natural Nitrogen Fixation and Reduced Fertiliser Dependence: Pulses such as gram, pigeon pea, and lentil fix atmospheric nitrogen through rhizobium symbiosis, adding 30–40 kg N/ha to soil, reducing chemical fertiliser use. India’s average Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) at 0.3%—below the ideal 1% recommended by Rattan Lal (World Food Prize, 2020)—can improve through pulse-based cropping systems and regenerative practices.
2. Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Biodiversity: Integration of pulses and oilseeds in rotations (e.g., rice–mustard, cotton–soybean) promotes microbial activity, carbon sequestration, and soil structure restoration. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) studies indicate a 25% increase in soil fertility index under pulse-based intercropping systems.
3. Reduced Agrochemical Load: Oilseed crops like groundnut and mustard require fewer pesticides compared to rice-wheat monocropping. This mitigates soil toxicity and nutrient leaching, ensuring long-term soil resilience.

Conserving Water and Ecological Balance

1. Low Water Footprint Crops: Pulses require only 300–500 mm of water, compared to 2,000–3,000 mm for paddy, making them ideal for semi-arid and rainfed regions.
   Promoting pulses in Punjab-Haryana could save 60 billion cubic metres of groundwater annually (CSE, 2023).
2. Reduced Pollution and Climate Benefits: Replacement of water-guzzling crops reduces the need for stubble burning, curbing PM2.5 emissions in North India.
   Moreover, nitrogen-fixing crops cut N₂O emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, aligning with India’s National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and INDC targets.
3. Integration with Agroecology and Traditional Knowledge: Indigenous practices such as mixed cropping (Baranaja in Uttarakhand) and pulse-based rotations in Bundelkhand enhance resilience against droughts and ensure nutritional and ecological sustainability.

Way Forward

1. Policy Reorientation: Crop-neutral subsidies under PM-KUSUM and rationalised MSPs for pulses and oilseeds.
2. R&D and Innovation: Investment in high-yielding, biofortified varieties through ICAR-IIPR and AIM-ANRF.
3. Market and Processing Infrastructure: Strengthen e-NAM integration, storage, and value chain support for oilseed refineries and dal mills.
4. Awareness and Incentives: Promote nutri-cereal-pulse combinations under POSHAN Abhiyaan for public nutrition and environmental co-benefits.

Conclusion

As M.S. Swaminathan noted, “If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will go right.” Self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds ensures nutrition, soil revival, and sustainable water stewardship for India’s future.