Modi Cabinet Approves ‘One Nation One Subscription’ Scheme To Enhance Access To Scholarly Research—Here's All About It

The Union Cabinet on Monday (25 November) approved the launch of the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing nationwide access to international scholarly research articles and journal publications.

This scheme will benefit students, faculty, and researchers from higher education institutions (HEIs) and research and development (R&D) organizations managed by the central and state governments.

The government has allocated approximately Rs 6,000 crore for the scheme, which will run for three years—2025, 2026, and 2027—under the Central Sector Scheme framework. ONOS aims to significantly enhance access to high-impact scholarly content, supporting academic and scientific research across India.

The ONOS initiative is aimed at providing digital access to a wide range of international journals and research publications across various disciplines. Under this scheme, students, faculty, and researchers from more than 6,300 government-run higher education institutions and central R&D organisations will gain access to a vast collection of e-journals.

The platform, scheduled to launch on 1 January 2025, will be managed through the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The scheme's implementation will be fully digital, with the aim to make high-quality research more accessible to educational and research institutions across the country, including those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

ONOS will allow them access to scholarly journals from some of the world’s most prestigious publishers, thereby encouraging both core and interdisciplinary research. The scheme is designed to bridge the research knowledge gap between top-tier and smaller institutions, enabling equitable access to scholarly resources.

The ONOS scheme includes journals from 30 major international publishers. In total, nearly 13,000 e-journals from these publishers will be made available. Some of the publishers included in the scheme are globally recognized names such as Elsevier ScienceDirect, Springer Nature, Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Taylor & Francis, Sage Publishing, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and BMJ Journals.

This collaboration will provide Indian researchers with access to cutting-edge research and publications in diverse fields, boosting the quality of academic research and innovation in India.

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) will be responsible for periodically reviewing the usage of the ONOS platform and ensuring that it effectively supports Indian academic and research institutions. The foundation will also monitor the publications by Indian authors and assess the impact of the initiative on research output.

The government has urged state governments to undertake awareness campaigns to maximise the usage of the ONOS platform among students, faculty, and researchers at the state level.