One Nation One Subscription: Democratizing India’s Research Access

Why in the news?

The Union Cabinet approved the ONOS scheme on November 25, 2024. It aims to provide equitable access to global scholarly journals for 1.8 crore researchers, fostering innovation and supporting India’s vision to lead in global R&D by 2047.

One Nation One Subscription: Democratizing India's Research Access

Introduction and Vision:

  • India’s rich legacy of knowledge and innovation is being revitalized under Prime Minister Modi’s “Jai Anusandhan” initiative announced in 2022.
  • The ONOS scheme, approved on November 25, 2024, aligns with NEP 2020 and aims to strengthen India’s R&D ecosystem.
  • As a cornerstone of the Viksitbharat@2047 vision, ONOS aspires to position India as a global leader in research by

Key Features and Objectives

  • Access to Scholarly Knowledge: Over 13,000 journals from 30 major publishers will be accessible to more than 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers in 6,300 institutions.
  • Inclusivity: Ensures access for institutions in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, fostering equitable knowledge sharing across disciplines like STEM, social sciences, and medicine.
  • Centralized Implementation: Managed by INFLIBNET, an autonomous UGC body, the scheme offers seamless digital access to journals.
  • Funding and Support: With ₹6,000 crore allocated for 2025–2027, the scheme also provides ₹150 crore annually to support open-access publishing for participating researchers.

About One Nation One Subscription Scheme:

  • Objective: To provide national licenses for e-journal and database subscriptions across STEM and social sciences.
  • Key Features:
  • Fully digital access managed by INFLIBNET.
  • Periodic monitoring by Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
  • 13,000 journals from 30 top publishers included.
  • ₹6,000 crore allocated for 2025–2027.
  • Unified portal and awareness campaigns by the Department of Higher Education (DHE).

Need for the Scheme

  • Public funds drive publishers’ USD 19 billion revenue but profits remain privatized.
  • Addresses low-quality journals exploiting researchers with fees.
  • Removes high-cost subscription barriers; e.g., Nature Communications charges $6,790 per paper.
  • Reduces financial strain; Indian authors paid ₹380 crore in Article Processing Charges in 2021.
  • Counters unfavorable publisher agreements restricting copyright control for Indian researchers.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times