One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)

Launched on January 1, 2025, the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative marks a significant advancement in India’s research and education landscape. This scheme aims to provide comprehensive access to international scholarly journals and articles for students, faculty, researchers, and scientists across the nation’s government higher education institutions (HEIs) and central government research and development (R&D) centres.

The overarching goal is to equip India’s academic and research communities with top-tier global resources, thereby fostering innovation and enhancing research quality across various disciplines.

Key Features of the ONOS Scheme

Extensive Access to Scholarly Journals: ONOS offers access to over 13,000 scholarly journals from 30 major international publishers, covering a wide array of disciplines including Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), Medicine, Social Sciences, Finance, and Accounts.

Beneficiaries: The scheme benefits approximately 1.8 crore (18 million) students, faculty, and researchers across more than 6,300 government-managed HEIs and central government-managed R&D institutions.

Inclusive Access: ONOS ensures equitable access to research resources, particularly for institutions in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, thereby promoting knowledge dissemination across diverse regions.

Implementation and Funding

Centralized Management: The subscription process is centrally coordinated by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous inter-university centre under the University Grants Commission (UGC). INFLIBNET manages the distribution of digital access to these journals, ensuring a seamless experience for users.

Digital Access: Journals are accessible entirely through a digital platform, minimizing administrative complexities and providing on-demand access to users.

Government Allocation: A total of ₹6,000 crore has been allocated for the ONOS initiative, covering three years—2025, 2026, and 2027. This funding covers the subscription charges for all participating institutions across the three-year period.

Strategic Alignment with National Goals

The ONOS scheme aligns with India’s vision to become a self-reliant and developed nation by 2047, as outlined in the Viksitbharat@2047 roadmap. This initiative is a key component of the roadmap, envisioning India’s emergence as a leading global power driven by cutting-edge research, technological advancement, and self-sustained progress.

By providing digital access to over 13,000 journals from 30 international publishers, ONOS bridges gaps in research infrastructure across India. Through its phased implementation, the scheme significantly contributes to enhancing India’s academic and research excellence, fostering innovation, and positioning the country at the forefront of global scientific research.

Summary of the news