The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme is a major initiative by the Indian Government to provide nationwide access to academic journals, research articles, and e-resources. The program was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25th November 2024 and officially launched on 1st January 2025.
The main objective of ONOS is to make research resources accessible to all students, faculty, and researchers in government higher education and R&D institutions, including those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. This scheme is in accordance with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) by reducing dependency on expensive international journals and promoting domestic research.
Why was the One Nation One Subscription Scheme Introduced?
The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme was introduced to address several challenges in the Indian research and academic ecosystem:
- Reducing Financial Burden: Indian researchers paid ₹380 crore in APCs for gold open access journals; ONOS provides unified access, lowering individual costs.
- High Publishing Costs: Traditional “pay-to-read” journals like Nature Communications charge up to $6,790 per paper; ONOS offers a national license to reduce expenses.
- Countering Predatory Journals: ONOS ensures access to reputable international journals, preventing exploitation by low-quality, non-peer-reviewed publishers.
- Removing Access Barriers: Smaller colleges, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities, gain equitable access, benefiting 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers nationwide.
- Better IP and Licensing Terms: ONOS negotiates favorable agreements, protecting institutional and researcher rights over their work.
What are the Key Features of ONOS?
ONOS offers a comprehensive framework for access to international journals and research databases. Its key features include:
| Feature | Details |
| 1. National Licensing | Acquires national licenses for e-journals and databases, eliminating the need for individual subscriptions. All participating institutions get access without separate payments. |
| 2. Digital Access via INFLIBNET | Managed by INFLIBNET, an autonomous UGC center, offering a fully online platform for faculty, students, and researchers across India. |
| 3. Monitoring by ANRF | Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) monitors usage, reviews publications of Indian authors, and provides reports to improve policy implementation. |
| 4. Access to Leading International Journals | Provides access to 13,000+ journals from 30 major international publishers, including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier Science Direct (including The Lancet). |
| 5. Phased Implementation | Phase I (2025-2027): Government institutionsPhase II: May include private institutionsPhase III: Could extend to public libraries |
| 6. Financial Allocation | Government allocated ₹6,000 crore (2025-2027) under a new Central Sector Scheme to ensure sustainability and infrastructure development. |
| 7. Unified Portal and IEC Campaigns | DHE provides a unified portal (onos.gov.in) and conducts Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to raise awareness among institutions. |
How does ONOS Benefit Research Institutions and Individuals?
The One Nation One Subscription scheme is a transformative initiative by the Government of India aimed at providing unified, nationwide access to scholarly journals and research articles. The benefits of ONOS scheme are as follows:
- Accessibility for All: Researchers from smaller or less-resourced institutions can access high-quality scholarly content.
- Reduced Costs: Consolidates subscriptions under one national license, saving institutions significant expenses.
- Enhanced Research Quality: Access to diverse journals and databases supports higher-quality, relevant, and interdisciplinary research.
- Strengthened Global Research Position: Increases availability of high-impact publications and enhances India’s visibility in the global research ecosystem.
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What Issues does ONOS Face?
While ONOS has many advantages, there are some challenges and potential concerns:
- Shift to Open Access: Over 50% of research is freely accessible; global moves toward OA may reduce ONOS’s long-term relevance.
- Limitations for Niche Fields: Focus on popular journals may leave specialized research areas underrepresented.
- Commercial Publisher Dominance: Heavy reliance on Western publishers with high profit margins could undermine publicly funded research.
- Copyright Concerns: Researchers often lose copyright; e.g., Taylor & Francis allowed Microsoft to use journals for AI without author consent.
- Digital Preservation: Relying on publishers is risky; the 2023 discontinuation of Heterocycles left 17,000 articles inaccessible.
- Other Challenges: Lack of support for Indian journals, transparency issues in journal selection, and limited internet access in tier 2 and 3 cities.
How does ANRF Support ONOS?
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) plays a key role in the successful implementation of ONOS.
| Feature | Details |
| Genesis and Objectives | Established under ANRF 2023 Act, subsuming SERB; under Ministry of Science and Technology; aims to foster research culture, R&D, and innovation across universities and research institutions. |
| Functions | Acts as apex strategic body for scientific research; fosters industry-academia-government collaboration; implements NEP recommendations. |
| Key Initiatives: PAIR Programme | Partnerships For Accelerated Innovation And Research (PAIR) using a Hub-and-Spoke model: • Hubs: Top-ranked NIRF institutions guiding emerging institutions • Spokes: Central and State public universities, select NITs, IIITs |
| Organizational Structure | Governing Board: Prime Minister as President Executive Council: Led by Principal Scientific Advisor to implement ANRF goals |
How will ONOS Transform Research in India?
ONOS has the potential to transform research and innovation in India by:
- Democratizing access to top-tier journals
- Reducing financial burdens on researchers
- Encouraging interdisciplinary studies
- Enhancing India’s global research footprint
- Supporting Open Access adoption and fair copyright practices
Key Takeaways
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | January 1, 2025 |
| Approving Body | Union Cabinet (Nov 25, 2024) |
| Managed By | INFLIBNET (UGC) |
| Monitored By | ANRF |
| Total Journals | 13,000+ |
| Publishers | 30 leading international publishers |
| Beneficiaries | ~1.8 crore students, faculty, researchers |
| Financial Allocation | ₹6,000 crore (2025-2027) |
| Implementation | Phase-wise (Govt institutions → Private institutions → Public libraries) |
| Key Objective | Democratize access, reduce costs, promote research |
Questions Based on One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) Scheme
- When was the ONOS scheme officially launched?
- A) Jan 1, 2024
- B) Jan 1, 2025
- C) Nov 25, 2024
- D) Dec 1, 2024
- E) Feb 1, 2025
- Which body manages the digital access of ONOS?
- A) ANRF
- B) UGC
- C) INFLIBNET
- D) DHE
- E) SERB
- How many journals does ONOS provide access to?
- A) 10,000
- B) 12,000
- C) 13,000
- D) 15,000
- E) 20,000
- What is the primary goal of ONOS?
- A) Privatize research
- B) Reduce subscription cost and democratize access
- C) Promote predatory journals
- D) Increase university fees
- E) Limit research access
- How many publishers are included in ONOS Phase I?
- A) 20
- B) 25
- C) 30
- D) 35
- E) 40
- Which foundation monitors ONOS usage and publications?
- A) SERB
- B) ANRF
- C) INFLIBNET
- D) DHE
- E) NEP
- What is the financial allocation for ONOS 2025-2027?
- A) ₹5,000 crore
- B) ₹6,000 crore
- C) ₹7,000 crore
- D) ₹4,500 crore
- E) ₹8,000 crore
- What issue might arise due to ONOS reliance on international publishers?
- A) Enhanced research
- B) Reduced costs
- C) Commercial publisher dominance
- D) Open access
- E) Improved collaborations
- Which program under ANRF promotes university research through hub-and-spoke model?
- A) NEP
- B) PAIR
- C) SERB
- D) ONOS
- E) DHE
- Who is the president of the ANRF governing board?
- A) President of India
- B) Prime Minister
- C) UGC Chairperson
- D) Minister of Education
- E) Principal Scientific Advisor
Also Read:
Answer Key
| Question No. | Answer |
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C |
| 3 | C |
| 4 | B |
| 5 | C |
| 6 | B |
| 7 | B |
| 8 | C |
| 9 | B |
| 10 | B |
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