Govt approves One Nation One Subscription initiative | How will it benefit 2 crore Indians?

Summary

The Indian government’s 'One Nation, One Subscription' initiative, approved by the Union Cabinet, will revolutionize access to global academic journals for over 1.8 crore students, researchers, and faculty members. Set to begin in January 2025, the initiative consolidates subscriptions to over 13,000 international journals, significantly reducing costs for India's educational institutions. The ₹66,000 crore project aims to enhance research capabilities by providing affordable, streamlined access to global resources, fostering innovation and academic growth. This initiative marks a major step towards strengthening India’s higher education infrastructure and research output.

Takeaways

• 😀 The 'One Nation, One Subscription' initiative has been approved by the Union Cabinet to enhance access to research journals and academic publications across India.
• 😀 This initiative aims to consolidate global academic journal subscriptions into a single, affordable platform for Indian higher education institutions.
• 😀 The Indian government is allocating ₹66,000 crore till 2027 to fund the program and make it accessible to over 2 crore students, researchers, and faculty members.
• 😀 The initiative will enable access to 13,000 major global journals, which are currently costly and often inaccessible to most institutions in India.
• 😀 With the new system, India can negotiate better pricing and save costs on journal subscriptions, potentially reducing expenses by up to ₹3,200 crore.
• 😀 The government has set a goal to roll out the subscription service by January 2025, ensuring that all higher education institutions benefit from the initiative.
• 😀 Before this initiative, individual institutions had to purchase separate, expensive subscriptions to academic journals, which created duplication and inefficiencies.
• 😀 30 major international publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the American Physical Society, have agreed to participate in this consolidated subscription model.
• 😀 The 'One Nation, One Subscription' program will help improve research and development in India by giving students and faculty access to critical academic resources.
• 😀 A National Research Foundation will oversee the implementation of this scheme, ensuring regular assessment and monitoring of its impact and effectiveness.

Q & A

What is the One Nation, One Subscription initiative?

The One Nation, One Subscription initiative is a plan approved by the Indian Union Cabinet to provide consolidated access to global academic journals and publications for students, faculty, and researchers across India's higher education institutions.

How will the One Nation, One Subscription initiative benefit students and researchers in India?

The initiative will reduce the cost of individual subscriptions to academic journals, allowing over 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers across 6,300 institutions to access more than 13,000 global academic journals at a significantly lower cost.

How much has the Indian government allocated for the One Nation, One Subscription initiative?

The Indian government has allocated ₹6,000 crores for the initiative, which will be utilized until 2027.

When will the One Nation, One Subscription initiative be implemented?

The initiative is scheduled to be implemented in January 2025.

What are the main objectives of the One Nation, One Subscription plan?

The main objectives are to consolidate subscriptions to academic journals, reduce the cost burden on institutions, and provide wider access to research and development resources for students and researchers across the country.

What types of publications will be included in the One Nation, One Subscription initiative?

The initiative will provide access to over 13,000 academic journals from 30 major global publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the American Physical Society.

How does the One Nation, One Subscription initiative benefit India's higher education system?

By consolidating journal subscriptions, the initiative provides institutions with better bargaining power, reduces duplication of subscriptions, and ensures that students and researchers have equal access to high-quality research material across the country.

Why is this initiative considered cost-effective for Indian institutions?

The initiative allows the Indian government to negotiate bulk subscriptions, reducing the overall cost. Instead of individual institutions paying for separate subscriptions, the government can secure access to thousands of journals at a significantly lower price.

How will the One Nation, One Subscription initiative affect the research output in India?

By providing wider access to global journals, the initiative will enable Indian researchers to stay updated with the latest research, collaborate globally, and contribute more effectively to the global research community.

Who will oversee the implementation and monitoring of the One Nation, One Subscription initiative?

The National Research Foundation (NRF) will oversee the implementation of the initiative and periodically assess its progress to ensure that it meets the goals of improving access to research resources and fostering innovation.