One Nation One Subscription Scheme: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the "One Nation One Subscription" scheme on Monday. It is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at providing nationwide access to scholarly research articles and journal publications. According to an official statement, a budget allocation of Rs 6,000 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme, covering the calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the scheme will utilise a fully digital and user-friendly process, ensuring easy access for higher education institutions and central government R&D laboratories. The initiative is expected to enhance research and innovation by streamlining access to academic resources across the country, he added.
Key points of 'One Nation One Subscription' scheme
- The One Nation One Subscription scheme seeks to enhance access to scholarly resources and foster a research-oriented culture across India’s educational space.
- The initiative will supplement existing efforts, such as the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), to promote research and innovation in government universities, colleges, and R&D laboratories.
- Coordinated by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous UGC inter-university center, the scheme will provide benefits to over 6,300 higher educational institutions and research centres managed by central or state governments.
- Nearly 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers stand to benefit from this nationwide subscription.
- This is in line with the goals of Viksitbharat@2047, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
- The initiative will expand access to scholarly journals to a vast diaspora of students, faculty, researchers and scientists of all disciplines, including those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
- ANRF will periodically review the usage of 'One Nation One Subscription' and publications of Indian authors of these institutions.
Campaigns to boost awareness and access
The Department of Higher Education and other Ministries having HEIs and R&D Institutions under their management shall be proactively conducting Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns among students, faculty and researchers of these institutions about the availability and method of access to One Nation One Subscription, resulting in improved usage of the facility across the country, as per an official release said. The state governments will also be requested to carry out campaigns at their level for maximizing usage of the unique facility by students, faculty and researchers of all government institutions, it added.
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