Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling in New Delhi on Monday, 13 July 2026, as part of his ongoing personal pledge to plant a tree every single day. Joining him in the act was Bhagwat Das Brahmachari, a young spiritual speaker, in what the minister described as a shared commitment to greening the earth.

Context

Posting on X under the hashtag #OnePlantADay, Chouhan wrote: 'प्रतिदिन पौधरोपण के संकल्प के क्रम में आज नई दिल्ली में पौधा रोपा' ('In continuation of my resolve to plant a sapling every day, I planted one today in New Delhi'). He noted that Bhagwat Das Brahmachari also planted alongside him, lending a spiritual dimension to the environmental act. The minister urged citizens to join the campaign through a dedicated link on his website.

Chouhan's message carried a philosophical note: 'Trees and plants make not only the earth but also our lives pleasant and prosperous.' He called on followers to plant saplings and make the land 'green, lush, and beautiful.'

Policy Backdrop

India's tradition of state-led plantation drives stretches back to 1950, when the government launched Van Mahotsav, an annual tree-planting week aimed at building public awareness around afforestation. Decades later, the National Mission for a Green India, approved in 2014 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, set formal targets to expand and improve forest and tree cover across the country.

Chouhan, who served four terms as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has a prior record of state-level plantation campaigns. His current drive as a Union minister extends that pattern to the national stage, combining a personal daily ritual with a public call to action and a digital sign-up mechanism.

Stakeholders and Impact

The campaign is aimed squarely at the general public, with Chouhan's website offering an engagement portal where citizens can register their participation in the #OnePlantADay movement. Environmental groups and citizen volunteers stand to be the primary participants if the drive gains traction.

The involvement of Bhagwat Das Brahmachari signals an effort to broaden the appeal of the campaign beyond political circles, drawing in audiences connected to spiritual and youth communities. Successive Indian governments have used ministerial-led plantation events to link personal symbolic acts with national carbon sequestration and forest-cover goals.

What's Next

The campaign's momentum will depend on public participation numbers through the linked portal and whether it aligns with upcoming state or national afforestation targets announced in budget or parliamentary sessions. If the drive sustains daily visibility, it could feed into broader government reporting on India's green-cover commitments under climate agreements.

Chouhan's consistent daily posting on the theme also keeps the agriculture and environment portfolio in the public eye at a time when India's climate pledges face increasing international scrutiny.