Excellent news for academicians, scholars, researchers, and faculty! In a landmark move towards democratising education and research, the Indian government has introduced the ‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative. This pioneering scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet, aims to provide countrywide access to scholarly research articles and journals, setting a new precedent in the global academic community.
Scheme Overview
The ONOS initiative, set to commence on January 1, 2025, has been allocated a budget of Rs 6,000 crore for three years. It includes subscriptions to nearly 13,000 e-journals from 30 major international publishers covering various academic disciplines. This effort is designed to benefit approximately 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers across over 6,300 government-run higher education institutions and central government research and development institutions.
Implications for Academia
The initiative is expected to level the playing field in academic research across India significantly. Institutions in less-funded or remote areas will now have the same access to high-quality research materials as their counterparts in metropolitan centres. This particularly impacts students and researchers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where access to such resources was previously limited due to financial constraints.
Quality and Accessibility
While the scheme opens up a vast repository of knowledge, the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, has addressed concerns regarding the quality of journals. He emphasized that the journals included are from renowned international publishers known for their rigorous peer-review processes, ensuring the credibility of the research material available.
Global Context and Future Prospects
India’s move aligns with global trends towards open access but also introduces a model where the government centrally negotiates and pays for subscriptions, potentially reducing costs and increasing bargaining power. This initiative could inspire similar policies worldwide, particularly in nations looking to enhance their research infrastructure without burdening individual institutions financially.
Public and Expert Reactions
The academic community has primarily welcomed ONOS, viewing it as a step towards reducing the digital divide in education and research. However, some experts caution that while the initiative provides access, it does not address the underlying issues of academic publishing, like the high fees for publishing or the push towards open-access models globally.
The scheme also sparks discussions on intellectual property and the potential for India to develop its robust system of academic journals, thereby reducing dependency on Western publishers. There’s a call for India to consider establishing its indexing agency, like Scopus or Web of Science, to foster and benchmark indigenous research output.
My Opinion
The ‘One Nation One Subscription’ scheme represents a strategic investment in India’s educational and research capabilities. It aims to enhance access and potentially reshape the academic publishing landscape. As this initiative rolls out, monitoring its impact on research quality, publication rates, and the overall academic ecosystem in India will be pivotal.
Alka for the India Latest News Opinion Platform
