ONE NATION ONE SUBSCRIPTION

Key Highlights:

• The Union Cabinet has allocated ₹6,000 crore for the ONOS initiative, set to launch on January 1, 2025.
• ONOS aims to provide equitable access to 13,000 scholarly journals through a centralized platform for nearly 6,300 government-run institutions.
• INFLIBNET (Information and Library Network Centre) has been appointed as the implementing agency for this project.

Current System

• At present, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) access journals through multiple library consortia or individual subscriptions, which can be expensive and fragmented.
• Example: The UGC-INFLIBNET Digital Library Consortium already provides journal access, but this is limited to specific institutions.

What ONOS Offers

1. Unified Access: All state and central government HEIs will have access to journals published by 30 international publishers on a single platform.
2. Cost Efficiency: The government negotiated a single subscription price for all publishers, consolidating journal access and avoiding duplication of subscriptions.
3. Ease of Use: Institutions need only to register on the ONOS platform to gain access.

Why is ONOS Needed?

1. Enhanced Accessibility:

   • Expands access to top scholarly journals for 55 lakh to 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

2. Cost Savings:

   • Eliminates duplication of journal subscriptions across institutions, reducing unnecessary expenditure.

3. Improved Negotiation Power:

   • A single subscription for all HEIs ensures better terms with publishers.

4. Usage Insights:

   • The government can monitor journal usage, aiding in long-term planning and encouraging underutilized institutions to benefit fully from the platform.

ONOS is a significant step towards democratizing access to global academic resources, reducing costs, and fostering research and education across India’s higher education ecosystem.