Union Cabinet approves Rs 6,000 crore scheme to boost research access

In a major step to enhance India's research and development ecosystem, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the "One Nation One Subscription" (ONOS) scheme.

This landmark initiative is designed to provide widespread access to international scholarly articles and high-impact journal publications for India’s academic and scientific communities.

Scheduled to launch in 2025, the ONOS scheme will grant over 1.8 crore students, faculty members, and researchers from more than 6,300 institutions access to nearly 13,000 e-journals from 30 leading international publishers. This will benefit both central and state government-run higher education institutions as well as R&D laboratories across India, ensuring inclusivity for learners and researchers in urban centers, rural areas, and tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

The initiative will be managed by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC). With a budget of Rs 6,000 crore allocated for 2025-2027, the program aligns with key government policies such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

ONOS aims to elevate India’s position in global research by fostering easier access to high-quality academic resources. The scheme is expected to encourage core and interdisciplinary research, furthering India's vision of becoming self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) and achieving the status of a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047.

A unified digital portal, managed by the Department of Higher Education, will enable seamless access to subscriptions for participating institutions. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns are planned to ensure maximum utilization of this initiative nationwide.