One Nation One Subscription (ONOS): Revolutionizing Scholarly Access in India

This comprehensive initiative was detailed in an exclusive conversation with Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the GOI, and Ms. Remya Haridasan, Scientist ‘D’ from the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, GOI. Together, they shared insights into ONOS’s objectives, challenges, and the roadmap ahead.

The Need for ONOS: Addressing Barriers to Knowledge

Access to scholarly knowledge is a necessity in today’s world. Peer-reviewed journals are crucial for generating new insights and avoiding redundant research efforts. However, high subscription costs and fragmented access models have historically hindered equitable access to these resources.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood highlighted the evolution of journal access models, and said, “In the print-only era, journals were subscribed to by institutions and libraries (‘reader-pays model’). The digital age introduced open access in which electronic journals became freely available online upon payment of Article Processing Charges (APCs) by authors (called “author-pays model”). Despite this shift, subscription-based models remain predominant in India, accounting for 65% of articles published in 2023, down from 75% in 2018.”

“In 2021, India’s government institutions spent approximately Rs. 1,000 crore on journal subscriptions and Rs. 380 crore on APCs for open access journals. ONOS was conceptualized to streamline this fragmented access and bring all stakeholders under a unified framework.”

Key Objectives and Achievements of ONOS

Expanding Institutional Access- The first phase of ONOS aims to dramatically increase the number of beneficiary institutions, from the current 2,360 to 6,380—a staggering 170% rise. This expansion will extend access to approximately 1.78 crore students, faculty, and researchers, compared to the current 57 lakh beneficiaries—an increase of over 200%.

Broadening Journal Coverage- Under ONOS, access will be granted to the complete collection of journals offered by 30 publishers who have signed on. This includes more than 13,000 journals, a 66% increase from the nearly 8,000 journals currently available.

Promoting Interdisciplinary Research- Unlike the current model, where users can only access journals subscribed by their institutions, ONOS will provide every user access to the entire suite of 13,000 journals, spanning disciplines such as STEMM, management, social sciences, and humanities. This will significantly spur interdisciplinary research in the country.

Overcoming Challenges: A Herculean Task

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood acknowledged the challenges in envisioning and implementing a unified subscription model. He added, “The key challenge in going for a unified subscription was in the selection of the resources and the publishers. There were 10 library consortia in the country under various ministries & departments – the Department of Higher Education (DHE), the Department of Science & Technology (DST), the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Department of Space (DoS), DRDO and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (M/o H&FW). Apart from the consortia subscriptions, institutions also directly subscribed to various publishers’ resources. These resources, in addition to e-journals, include databases, standards, ebooks, etc. So coming to selection of resources which catered to most of the needs of all consortia was a challenge but an important step.”

Adding more to that Ms. Remya said, “Also, negotiations with such a large number of publishers – 55 to start with and finally coming down to 36 publishers – was also a huge challenge and we are happy that 30 out of the final list of 36 publishers, including the top 4 prominent publishers, have come on board.”

As per Prof. Sood, the success of this negotiation was attributed to a dedicated team effort involving key contributors. He would like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of the members of the Core Committee to oversee implementation of ONOS comprising of Secretary, DHE, including former Secretary, Shri Sanjay Murthy; Secretary, DST and Dr. (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA. Thanks are also due to Prof. Virander Chauhan, Former Director, ICGEB; Dr. P. K. Banerjee, Joint Secretary, DHE; Director INFLIBNET and Shri Ashok Kumar Rai, Scientist ‘F’, INFLIBNET;and Ms. Remya Haridasan from Office of PSA. It has been a collective effort.

Inclusion of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities

Ensuring equitable access across the nation, especially for institutions in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, is a cornerstone of ONOS. The Secretary of the Department of Higher Education has officially communicated with all 33 stakeholder ministries and departments to onboard their institutions under ONOS. Furthermore, the National Medical Commission has been requested to coordinate the inclusion of state-run medical colleges.The recently operationalized ONOS website, managed by INFLIBNET, now allows institutions to directly register for access, making the process seamless and inclusive.

ONOS is designed for continuous improvement. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood explained that Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) will play a critical role in periodically reviewing the usage and outcomes of the scheme. Emphasizing on the goals and planning, Prof. Sood added, “The long-term goal is to instill a culture of research within India’s education system, ensuring universal access to scholarly literature. Future phases aim to include private institutions and extend access to the public via libraries. Promoting Indian journals is another priority. With about 25 journals published by Indian science academies and institutions offering free peer-reviewed content, ONOS aims to bring some of these journals on its platform and increase their visibility among Indian authors.

“Reforms in research evaluation processes may also be needed to support this,” Prof. Sood noted.

Transforming the Research Ecosystem in India with ONOS

“ONOS is set to redefine the research and education ecosystem in India. By removing barriers to access, it will enable a wider pool of students, faculty, and researchers to engage with high-quality resources, significantly enhancing the research output of the country. For students and researchers in smaller cities, ONOS is nothing short of a game-changer. Historically, these regions have struggled with limited access to scholarly resources. With ONOS, they can now access world-class journals, addressing a foundational requirement for meaningful research and fostering an academic culture.”

This initiative not only expands access but also facilitates interdisciplinary studies. Many IITs and leading institutions are increasingly adopting cross-disciplinary approaches, combining STEMM with social sciences and humanities. For example, some IITs and IISc are offering programs in clinical research with leading medical institutes in the country. Such efforts stand to benefit greatly from the comprehensive access to journals across domains, enabled through ONOS.

Furthermore to ensure accountability and optimization, usage tracking will be handled by the INFISTATS portal, developed by INFLIBNET. This sophisticated system provides title-level journal usage statistics, allowing institutions to assess and enhance their engagement with ONOS resources effectively.

Sustainability and Future Strategies

The sustainability of ONOS depends on its widespread usage. Ms. Remya Haridasan emphasized the importance of awareness campaigns: “State governments, as well as central ministries, must proactively educate students, faculty, and researchers about ONOS to maximize its utilization. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns will play a pivotal role in achieving this.Moreover, as more journals transition to open access, ONOS plans to adopt transformative agreements covering both subscription and APC charges. This will ensure the initiative remains relevant and effective.”

Budget Allocation and Ensuring Cost-Effectiveness

A budget of ?6,000 crore has been allocated for three years and for the best results measures have been taken to ensure the cost-effectiveness of the subscriptions. On asking more about this, Prof. Sood added, “The ONOS budget encompasses two primary components: subscription costs for premier journals and Article Processing Charges (APCs) for selected good quality open-access journals. The nominal pilot APC support of Rs. 150 crore annually ensures affordability while maintaining quality. By centralizing subscriptions, ONOS is projected to cut costs significantly. Subscription costs per institution are estimated to drop from approximately ?30 lakh to ?15 lakh, making scholarly access more sustainable for a broader audience.

The key to cost-effectiveness lies in maximizing usage. ONOS’s unified access model ensures that every user has entry to the complete set of journals, driving higher utilization and better returns on investment. The anticipated increase in the user base will further amplify this impact. This initial rollout serves as a pilot phase. Over the next year, the scheme’s uptake and benefits will be carefully monitored to refine and scale its implementation. Insights from this phase will inform strategies for enhancing reach and efficiency.

On a concluding note

The “One Nation One Subscription” initiative represents a paradigm shift in how scholarly knowledge is accessed in India. By unifying access to journals, expanding institutional reach, and promoting interdisciplinary research, ONOS is laying the groundwork for a research-driven future.

As Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood eloquently quoted Sir Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Indeed, ONOS stands as a testament to collective effort and visionary planning, promising to unlock India’s full potential in research and innovation.