Govt approves 'One Nation One Subscription': All you need to know about it

Union Cabinet approves 'One Nation One Subscription' scheme, granting government higher education institutions access to 13,000 global journals with Rs 6,000 crore funding

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the "One Nation One Subscription" (ONOS) scheme, which will provide all centrally and state-run higher education institutions with access to prestigious international journals via a single platform. 

 

The Centre has allocated Rs 6,000 crore over three years for the initiative, aligning with the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision, the National Education Policy 2020, and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.

 

The access will be facilitated through a national subscription managed by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous centre under the University Grants Commission (UGC).

 

Currently, ten separate library consortia managed by different ministries provide journal access to higher education institutions within their purview, and institutions often subscribe individually to journals. With ONOS, all government-run higher education institutions, including universities, colleges, and institutions of national importance, will have unified access to both national and international journals across various academic fields.

 

ONOS scheme: What are its key features?

- The scheme will include 30 leading international journal publishers

- Nearly 13,000 e-journals from these publishers will be available to over 6,300 government-run higher education and central R&D institutions

- ONOS will be implemented through an easy-to-use digital process

- Government has allocated Rs 6,000 crore for the scheme over the years 2025, 2026, and 2027

- A central agency, INFLIBNET, will coordinate the national subscription, benefitting institutions nationwide

- A unified portal will be set up by the Department of Higher Education to allow institutions to access the journals

- State governments will be encouraged to run local campaigns to maximise the usage of this facility by students, faculty, and researchers.

ONOS scheme: Awareness campaigns

The Department of Higher Education, along with other ministries managing higher education institutions (HEIs) and R&D bodies, will conduct extensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to inform students, faculty, and researchers about the scheme and how to access the resources.

 

State governments will also be asked to support these campaigns to ensure widespread utilisation of the facility across all government institutions.