One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)

✦Key Features

• 13,000+ journals from 30 top global publishers: Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, IEEE, ACS, RSC
• 1.8 crore students, faculty, researchers across 6,300+ government-funded HEIs and R&D labs
• Single centralized access via INFLIBNET (UGC's library network) — no individual subscriptions needed
• ₹150 crore/year for Article Processing Charges (APCs) for open-access publishing by Indian researchers
• Budget: ₹6,000 crore for 3 years (2025-2027)
• Aligns with NEP 2020, Anusandhan National Research Foundation, and Viksit Bharat 2047

✓Eligibility Criteria

• All Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions (CFHEIs) are primary eligible entities.
• State Universities and government research laboratories can participate in the phased rollout.
• Faculty members, research scholars, and students currently enrolled in these institutions.
• Implementing agencies like the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre.

★Benefits

• Uniform access to high-quality international journals and research databases for all students and faculty.
• Elimination of the need for individual universities to pay separate, expensive subscription fees.
• Bridge the resource gap between elite institutions and state-level universities for research purposes.
• Enhanced global research competitiveness for Indian scholars through unlimited access to literature.

▶Application Process

• The Ministry of Education signs bulk subscription agreements with major global scientific publishers.
• Institutions register their IP addresses or institutional domains on the ONOS centralized portal.
• Authorized users access the resources using their institutional login credentials (SSO).
• The portal is managed by a central agency that monitors usage and handles license renewals.

₹ Budget Allocation

6000

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 100% Central Government (via Ministry of Education)

Historical Context

Previously, India used various consortia like e-ShodhSindhu and NKRC, but these were fragmented. ONOS was first conceptualized in 2020 and formally approved by the Union Cabinet on November 25, 2024.