Title: Government Launches 'One Nation One Subscription' Scheme to Expand Access to Research Journals Across India

Mumbai: The Union Cabinet has recently approved the "One Nation One Subscription" (ONOS) scheme, aimed at providing easy access to scholarly research articles and journal publications to students across the country. The scheme is part of the National Education Policy 2020, Viksit Bharat at 2047, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and the National Research Foundation (NRF), which aims to transform India into a knowledge-based economy.

The ONOS scheme has been allocated over Rs 6,000 crore for the next three years (2025-2027) and is expected to benefit approximately 1.8 crore students, teachers, and researchers from over 6,300 institutions across the country. The scheme will provide access to more than 13,000 e-journals, including journals published by renowned international publishers like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and BMJ Journals.

The government has also introduced the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023, which allocates Rs 50,000 crore for a period of five years (2023–2028). Of this, the Government of India will contribute Rs 14,000 crore, while the remaining Rs 36,000 crore will be raised from industries, public sector enterprises, philanthropic donations, etc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the importance of research and development in the country's progress, adding "Jai Anusandhan" to "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan". The government's new initiatives, Digital University and Gati Shakti University, are set to become the backbone of a knowledge-based economy.

The ONOS scheme will facilitate access to quality higher education and research, aligning with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The platform is scheduled to become operational on January 1, 2025, and institutions across the country will be allowed uninterrupted access to journals through a national subscription coordinated by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

In related news, research output in India is expected to grow significantly between 2017 and 2022, with an estimated increase of about 54%, more than double the global average. However, when it comes to the impact of the research produced, India lags in terms of citations and ranks ninth in the world.

Experts argue that increasing R&D expenditure and investment in innovation are crucial for India's growth, but the country still lags behind in terms of R&D personnel and private sector contributions.