Maintaining soil quality and crop productivity in semiarid India is challenging due to low rainfall and high temperatures. The sorghum-wheat cropping system is predominant on the Vertisols of this region. This study examined the long-term (34-year) effects of fertilization and manuring on soil quality and resilience at Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, India. Soil samples were collected from six selected treatments: control, N, NPK, NPK + FYM5, (N + NFYM) PK and FYM10 at a 0-15 cm depth and analyzed for 27 physical, chemical, and biological properties. The recommended fertilizer dose (RDF) for sorghum, consisting of 100 kg N, 50 kg P2O5, and 40 kg K2O ha-1, was applied as urea (46% N), single super phosphate (16% P2O5), and muriate of potash (60% K2O), which corresponded to actual applied amounts (masses) of 217, 313, and 67 kg ha-1, respectively. Minimum data sets (MDS) were identified using a conceptual framework (CF) and principal component analysis (PCA) under productivity (P) and environmental protection (EP) goals. Soil quality indices (SQIs) were developed using both linear (L) and nonlinear (NL) scoring. To enable treatment comparisons, a relative soil quality index (RSQI) was introduced by normalizing SQI values against the highest-performing treatment. The soil resilience index (SRI) was derived from carbon mineralization with and without substrate addition. Microbial biomass carbon, available sulfur, pH, and respiratory quotient emerged as key indicators. The NPK + FYM5 treatment recorded the highest SQI (0.87-0.98), resistance (0.89), and resilience (0.90) index. Indicator critical limits were defined at 40% and 80% relative yield thresholds. NL PCA scoring showed the strongest correlation with equivalent wheat yield (R 2 = 0.89) and SRI (R 2 = 0.76), with the best model fit (adjusted R 2 = 0.87). The study introduces a combined conceptual and PCA-based approach to identify key indicators and recommend the best nutrient management practices for farmers to improve surface soil (0-15 cm) quality, resilience, and productivity in semiarid Vertisols, supporting climate-resilient agriculture.