Govt Launches ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ to Provide Journal Access Across India

Starting January 1, 2025, students, faculty, and researchers from over 6,000 government-funded institutes across India will gain access to 13,400 international journals under the Centre’s newly launched ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative. The scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet, is a major step to boost research culture and improve access to scholarly resources for higher education institutes.

The initiative, announced by Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), will be implemented in three phases:

1. Phase 1: All government institutes and universities will get access to 13,400 scholarly journals, covering disciplines like science, technology, medicine, management, social sciences, and humanities.
2. Phase 2: Private institutions will be gradually included, possibly with a nominal fee.
3. Phase 3: Universal access will be provided through public libraries, enabling individuals nationwide to access research materials.

The project, costing Rs 6,000 crore over three years (2025-2027), is part of the government’s research-driven approach outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and supported by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

Key Details of ONOS:

Multidisciplinary Research Access

Under ONOS, access will extend beyond science journals to include management, social sciences, humanities, and other disciplines. Earlier, individual institutions like IITs or central universities subscribed only to subject-specific journals due to budgetary constraints. Now, with consolidated subscriptions, all government-funded institutes will have access to the complete range of scholarly publications.

Support for Indian Researchers

The initiative also addresses Article Processing Charges (APCs), which are fees authors pay to publish their research in select journals. A fund of ₹150 crores per year has been set aside to subsidize APCs for high-quality journals, offering discounts for Indian researchers.

Government’s Focus on Research

The ONOS initiative aligns with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, which aims to promote a vibrant research culture in India. By supporting Tier-2 and Tier-3 institutions with better resources, ONOS will help these institutes compete with national and global counterparts.

Driving Research Excellence

The One Nation, One Subscription (ONOS) initiative stems from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasized the importance of research in education. To support this, the government established the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to strengthen research and development in Indian institutions, particularly tier-2 and tier-3 colleges and universities.

Professor Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, said:
“The initiative will expand access to scholarly journals to a vast diaspora of students, faculty, researchers, and scientists of all disciplines, including those in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, thereby promoting core as well as interdisciplinary research in the country.”