In a significant move to boost research and development in India, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the "One Nation One Subscription" (ONOS) scheme. This new Central Sector Scheme aims to provide country-wide access to international high-impact scholarly research articles and journal publications for students, faculty, and researchers in government-managed higher education institutions and research organisations.
The ONOS scheme, set to begin in 2025, will make nearly 13,000 e-journals from 30 major international publishers available to over 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers from more than 6,300 institutions. This includes both central and state government-managed higher education institutions and central government R&D labs, reaching individuals across urban, rural, and tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
The initiative will be managed digitally by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC). With an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore for the years 2025-2027, the ONOS initiative builds on the government's commitment to research and innovation outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
Through this initiative, India is set to improve its position in the global research ecosystem, facilitating easier access to high-quality research materials for its academic and scientific community. The scheme will also encourage both core and interdisciplinary research, supporting India's vision of becoming Atmanirbhar and a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The Department of Higher Education will launch a unified portal for institutions to access the subscription, with Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns planned to ensure widespread usage of this resource across the nation.