Central Government's ONOS Scheme to Give Access to International Journals to 18 Million Students

In a significant move aimed at boosting educational research, the central government has announced its partnership with around 30 top publishers to make over 13,400 international journals available to students across both central and state-funded universities.

As per the Union Cabinet approved Phase One, which is scheduled to go live on January 1, 2025, at least 18 million students will gain access to high-end research journals. This development marks a significant milestone in the government's effort to enhance India's academic landscape.

The list of publishers participating in this initiative includes renowned names such as Elsevier, Cambridge University Press, Sage, Oxford University Press, and Taylor and Francis, among others. The collaboration is expected to benefit 451 state public universities, 4,864 colleges, and 172 institutes of national importance that had earlier only access to a limited set of journals.

The Department of Science and Technology Secretary, Abhay Karadikar, has stated that under the ONOS scheme, all institutions – including IITs (IIndian Institutes of Technology) and Central universities – will now have unrestricted access to these international journals. As per Karadikar, over 6,380 higher education and research institutes stands to gain from this initiative.

At present, only a select group of institutions had access to high-end journals. With the launch of Phase One, millions of students across India can expect enhanced opportunities for their educational pursuits. Speaking at the event, Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Sood stated that private universities are likely to be included in the second phase of the initiative.

The government's ONOS scheme is poised to have a transformative impact on Indian higher education by facilitating easy access to international research journals.