Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan continued his daily tree-plantation pledge on Thursday, 25 June 2026, planting a sapling at Acharya Narendra Dev Agricultural and Technological University in Kumarganj, Ayodhya, alongside Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and UP Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh.

Context

Chouhan posted on X under the hashtag #OnePlantADay, describing the event as part of an ongoing personal commitment to plant a tree every single day. In his post, he wrote: 'Paryavaran santulan banaye rakhne aur prakriti ke sanrakshan ke liye ped-paudhe atyant avashyak hain' ('Trees and plants are absolutely essential for maintaining environmental balance and conserving nature'), and urged citizens to fulfil their duty toward nature by planting saplings.

The choice of Acharya Narendra Dev Agricultural and Technological University — a state agricultural university dedicated to farm education and research in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya district — lent the event an institutional character, linking everyday afforestation messaging directly to the agricultural academic community.

Policy Backdrop

India's tradition of large-scale plantation drives dates to the Van Mahotsav festival, launched in 1950, which institutionalised annual tree-planting as a civic and governmental ritual. Successive administrations have built on this foundation, with Union and state ministers regularly staging plantation events at agricultural universities and research stations to tie farming practices to environmental goals.

Chouhan's daily pledge is consistent with a broader pattern of national messaging on afforestation, soil conservation, and climate resilience in agriculture. The #OnePlantADay campaign frames individual action as a complement to state-level plantation targets, particularly during the monsoon season when survival rates for new saplings are highest.

Stakeholders and Impact

The event directly engaged the student and faculty community of Acharya Narendra Dev Agricultural and Technological University, an institution whose mandate centres on agricultural education and research. For farming communities, the symbolic presence of both the Union Agriculture Minister and UP's state agriculture leadership at a single plantation drive signals coordinated messaging between the Centre and the state government on green cover expansion.

Environmental advocates and agricultural scientists have long argued that integrating tree cover into farming landscapes — through agroforestry and boundary plantations — improves soil health, reduces erosion, and provides supplementary income for farmers. Events of this kind, held at agricultural universities, can reinforce that curriculum emphasis for the next generation of farm professionals.

What's Next

Uttar Pradesh typically announces state-level plantation targets aligned with the monsoon window, and this joint Centre-state appearance may foreshadow coordinated afforestation goals for the 2026 kharif season. Observers will watch for any references to tree-cover targets in upcoming agricultural budget discussions or parliamentary sessions. Chouhan's sustained daily campaign also keeps the issue visible in the political calendar well beyond a single symbolic event.