Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and State Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi for a tree-plantation drive on the campus of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, on Friday, 26 June 2026, as part of his ongoing daily plantation pledge under the #OnePlantADay campaign.

Context

Chouhan shared the event on X, describing Uttarakhand as 'देवभूमि' ('the land of the gods') and a sacred ground of ancient sages. He wrote that the plantation was carried out 'आध्यात्मिक चेतना से ओत-प्रोत' — 'imbued with spiritual consciousness' — underscoring the cultural resonance he attached to the act of planting trees in the Himalayan state. He called on citizens to join the pledge and make the earth 'green, lush, and prosperous.'

The choice of venue — Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology — carries symbolic weight. Established in 1960 as India's first agricultural university, the Pantnagar institution has historically served as a hub for agrarian research and rural education, making it a fitting backdrop for a campaign that links environmental action with farming communities.

Policy Backdrop

India's tree-plantation tradition has deep institutional roots. Van Mahotsav, the annual afforestation festival, was launched in 1950 by K.M. Munshi to build a culture of voluntary tree-planting. Decades later, the National Mission for a Green India, approved in 2014 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, formalised the goal of expanding forest and tree cover to meet the National Forest Policy target of 33 per cent of India's geographical area.

Chouhan himself has a track record of large-scale plantation drives. During his multiple terms as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the state government organised mass afforestation campaigns that drew national attention. His current daily pledge extends that personal commitment into his role as a Union minister.

Stakeholders and Impact

Uttarakhand, known as Devbhoomi, faces acute ecological pressures: Himalayan glaciers are retreating, forest fires have grown more frequent, and land degradation threatens both biodiversity and the livelihoods of hill farmers. Plantation activities on agricultural university campuses can feed into agroforestry promotion, encouraging farmers to integrate trees into their cropping systems for shade, soil health, and supplementary income.

Environmental groups and farming communities in the region stand to benefit if the campaign generates sustained follow-through beyond the symbolic gesture. Agricultural universities, with their research infrastructure, are well-placed to monitor sapling survival rates and share data with policymakers designing central agroforestry schemes.

What's Next

The #OnePlantADay initiative's value will ultimately be measured by sapling survival rates and whether the campaign scales beyond individual events into structured programmes at state universities and rural institutions. Watchers will look for integration with existing central schemes on agroforestry and green cover. If other state governments and Union ministers adopt similar daily pledges, the campaign could contribute meaningfully to India's climate commitments — though verification of on-ground outcomes will be essential.