One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) – The central government's new scheme will provide access to international journals to at least 18 million students from both central and state-funded universities.
About thirty publishers, including Elsevier and Cambridge University Press, have agreed to work with the government on this plan. Phase one of the plan would go live on January 1, 2025, which the Union Cabinet approved last month, reported PTI.
List of publishers
It is the first time the government has reached an agreement with 30 of the largest publishers in STEM, management, social sciences and humanities.
According to a press release from the Press Information Bureau, the list of publishers includes Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, BMJ Journals, Cambridge University Press, Sage, Oxford University Press and Project Muse.
Only IITs had access
Previously, only IITs or specific central universities had access to these journals. Under ONOS, 451 public state universities, 4,864 colleges and 172 institutes of national importance will be among the 6,380 higher education and research institutions with access to high-quality journals.
“Earlier, institutions like IITs or central universities subscribed to a small set of journals related to specific disciplines, but under ONOS, all institutions will have access to 13,400 research journals,” said Abhay Karadikar, secretary, Department of Science and Technology, according to PTI.
When will private universities get access?
As of now, the first phase of the ONOS scheme is available only for central and state-funded universities. Chief Scientific Advisor (PSA) Ajay Sood said private institutions are likely to be involved in the second phase.
“The first phase, to be implemented over the next three years, will provide admission to all central and state-funded universities and colleges across India. We then plan to expand it to private institutions and ultimately target universal access through all designated access points across the public in phase three,” Professor Ajay Sood told. PTI.
