NEWS – The Union Cabinet has allocated ₹6,000 crore for ONOS to centralize access to academic journals for approximately 6,300 government-run institutions. The scheme will provide access to 13,000 journals via a single platform starting January 1, 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

Existing Mechanisms

• HEIs access journals through 10 different library consortia, managed by various ministries.
• Example: INFLIBNET Centre, under the Ministry of Education, manages the UGC-Infonet Digital Library Consortium.

Challenges

• Fragmented subscriptions with only 2,500 HEIs accessing 8,100 journals through consortia and individual subscriptions.
• Lack of a centralized system leads to duplication and higher costs.

Features of ONOS

• Unified Access
  • ONOS will consolidate journal subscriptions into a single platform hosting 13,000 journals from 30 international publishers.
  • Institutions only need to register to access these resources.
• Implementation and Funding
  • INFLIBNET designated as the implementing agency.
  • ₹6,000 crore allocated for the scheme over three years (2025-2027).
• Flexibility for Additional Subscriptions – Institutions may still subscribe individually to journals outside the platform’s offerings.

Significance of ONOS

1. Expanded Reach
   • Enhanced access for 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers across 6,300 institutions, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
2. Cost Efficiency
   • Avoids duplication of resources, reducing excess expenditure.
   • Centralized negotiations reduced the projected cost from ₹4,000 crore per year to ₹1,800 crore per year.
3. Enhanced Bargaining Power
   • Unified negotiation with publishers ensures better pricing.
4. Data-Driven Planning
   • Centralized access helps track journal usage, promoting efficient utilization and encouraging underperforming institutions.

Origin of the ONOS Initiative

• Foundation in NEP 2020
  • The National Education Policy 2020 emphasized the importance of research for educational and national development.
  • Proposed establishing a National Research Foundation (NRF) to boost R&D and innovation.
• Progress Since 2022
  • A core committee of secretaries, led by the Principal Scientific Advisor, was formed to negotiate with journal publishers.
  • The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established in 2024.

Next Steps

• APCs are fees paid by authors for publishing in journals, which amounted to ₹380 crore in 2021 in India.
• The government aims to negotiate APCs to reduce costs.
• Subject-specific expert groups will assist in these negotiations.