The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) Scheme. The scheme aims to provide easy access to more than 13,000 research journals to students and institutions across the country.
Highlights of the Scheme
- Budget Allocation: A budget of ₹6,000 crore has been kept for 2025-2027.
- Beneficiaries: The scheme will benefit 6,300 institutions and 8 crore students.
- Objective: To encourage research and create an environment of high-quality research in the country.
‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) Scheme
- One Nation (India) and One Subscription means a system where you will not have to subscribe separately on different platforms. With a single subscription, you will be able to access all the essential educational content and services, making your experience simple and time-saving.
Key Benefits of ONOS Scheme
- Extensive Educational Resources: The scheme will provide access to around 13,000 e-journals from 30 leading international publishers. This will provide a vast educational content to students and researchers.
- Target Institutions: The ONOS scheme will benefit more than 6,300 higher education institutions and central research institutes, including both state and central institutions.
- Digital and Simple Process: The scheme will be completely digital, making access to resources very simple and user-friendly.
- Central Coordination: The scheme will be coordinated by INFLIBNET (Information and Library Network), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC). The institution will make payments to publishers on behalf of the institutions.
- Budget allocation: A budget of ₹6,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme from 2025 to 2027, which shows the government’s commitment to enhance educational resources.
- Awareness campaign: The government will run campaigns to spread awareness among students, teachers and researchers about the benefits and use of the ONOS scheme.
- Integrated and equitable access: The scheme will integrate various subscription models, benefiting even those institutions that were previously unable to access quality journals due to expensive or limited resources.
- Launch date: The ONOS scheme will come into effect from January 1, 2025, which will be a significant step to improve educational access in India.
Provisions and eligibility criteria
- Eligible institutions: All government higher education institutions (HEIs) and research and development (R&D) institutions will be eligible under the scheme.
- Availability of journals: 13,000 journals from 30 international publishers will be available for free.
- Budget allocation: A budget of ₹6,000 crore has been set for 2025-2027, and payments to publishers will be made centrally by INFLIBNET.
Benefits of ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) Scheme
- Better educational resources for students from smaller cities: The scheme provides easy access to high-quality educational resources to students from smaller cities (Tier 2 and Tier 3), leading to better education.
- Access to over 13,000 journals: Students will get access to over 13,000 academic journals from various international publishers, helping them in their studies and research.
- Equality between urban and rural institutions: The scheme will reduce the gap between urban and rural institutions, allowing students from smaller cities to get educational facilities similar to those of students in metros.
- Research on Latest Topics: Under this scheme, students will get an opportunity to research on emerging topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain.
- Entrepreneurship and Employment Opportunities: Availability of better educational resources will teach students important skills that are in demand in the job market, as well as promote entrepreneurship.
- Contribution to Economic Development: This scheme will contribute to local economic development by providing necessary skills to students, leading to the progress of the nation as a whole.
- Improve Educational Landscape: The ONOS scheme will bring significant changes in the educational landscape, enabling access to equitable and quality education across India.