IMPACT OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ON INDIAN AGRICULTURE: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

India's agricultural sector faces mounting challenges due to climate change coupled with population growth. Impact of climate change is highly pronounced in rice-wheat cropping system, which, being the staple food of the country will jeopardize its long-term food security. While agriculture is vulnerable to climate change, it also contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with carbon dioxide (CO2) from pre and post agricultural activities projected to reach 207 Mega tons (Mt) by 2030 and 231 Mt by 2035. Ensuring food security while simultaneously reducing the GHG emission is the greatest challenge of this century and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a promising solution. Still, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding its implementation and effectiveness. This paper presents a critical assessment of CSA in India, analyzing current challenges, opportunities and providing strategic directions for key stakeholders, using the PRISMA 2020 criteria for a systematic review. The findings reveal that lack of expertise, insufficient policy frameworks, limited technology access, inadequate funding, low awareness and absence of site-specific practices are the major challenges. A comprehensive strategy encompassing awareness campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, financial and technical assistance (including subsidies, carbon credits by industries, access to credit, index-based insurance), inclusive participation of stakeholders and gender-sensitive policies is proposed for effective adoption of CSA. The study concludes that coordinated efforts spanning from global to local domains are crucial for promoting CSA practices among farmers, enabling India to enhance agricultural resilience, ensure food security and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.