Introduction
The Union Cabinet has approved the 'One Nation One Subscription' (ONOS) scheme, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing equitable access to high-impact scholarly journals for students, faculty, and researchers across India's higher education institutions.
Overview of ONOS
The ONOS scheme seeks to centralize journal subscriptions for nearly 6,300 government-run institutions, providing access to 13,000 scholarly journals through a single platform. This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Implementation and Access
The scheme will be implemented by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous inter-university center of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Starting January 1, 2025, institutions will need to register on the platform to access the journals. The central government has allocated Rs 6,000 crore for the scheme's implementation over three years (2025-2027).
Benefits of ONOS
- Expanded Access: ONOS will provide access to top-quality scholarly journals, encouraging core and interdisciplinary research.
- Cost Efficiency: By consolidating journal subscriptions, the scheme will avoid duplication and reduce excess expenditure on overlapping resources.
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Enhanced Bargaining Power: A single subscription for all central and state government higher education institutions will provide better bargaining power when negotiating with publishers.
How Students Can Participate
Students can become a part of the ONOS scheme by ensuring their institutions are registered on the platform. State governments will also conduct campaigns to maximize the usage of this unique facility.
Conclusion
The 'One Nation One Subscription' scheme marks a significant step towards democratizing access to scholarly research articles and journal publications in India. By providing equitable access to high-quality research materials, ONOS aims to foster a culture of innovation and inquiry among students, faculty, and researchers.
