Tue Dec 03 03:00:00 UTC 2024: ## India’s “One Nation, One Subscription” Scheme for Scholarly Journals Faces Criticism

**New Delhi, December 3, 2024** – India’s ambitious “One Nation, One Subscription” (ONOS) scheme, aimed at providing equitable access to scholarly journals, is facing criticism for its reliance on a subscription model at a time when open-access publishing is rapidly gaining traction globally. The ₹6,000 crore (approximately $730 million USD) three-year initiative, approved by the Union Cabinet, will pay 30 major international publishers for access to their journals.

While ONOS promises to democratize access to research for all public institutions regardless of their financial capacity, critics argue that it represents a significant misallocation of funds. With over 53% of scientific papers now available through open access, the scheme’s heavy investment in subscriptions is seen as fiscally imprudent. Furthermore, major international initiatives like the US Office of Science and Technology Policy’s mandate for open access to publicly funded research by 2026 further undermine ONOS’s long-term viability.

The article highlights several key concerns: the exorbitant profits of Western publishers, the surrender of copyright by researchers, and the lack of support for open-access publishing fees (APCs) which many journals now require from authors. The scheme’s failure to address these systemic issues within the scholarly publishing industry is a major point of contention.

Experts suggest that India, with its significant scientific talent and technological capabilities, should prioritize building its own robust, open-access publishing infrastructure. This would involve supporting Indian journals, promoting preprinting, ensuring data sharing, and implementing strong copyright protection policies for researchers. The current ONOS approach risks entrenching dependence on Western publishers and neglecting the potential for self-reliance in scholarly publishing. Instead of a short-term fix, critics urge a re-evaluation of the scheme to ensure it aligns with global trends and truly promotes equitable and innovative publishing practices.

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