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23 June 2026

Global scholarly publishing and open access

The topic discusses the 'One Nation One Subscription' (ONOS) scheme, which is a specific Indian government policy, and raises relevant governance issues regarding public fund utilization and transparency in research publishing.

2 min read 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • Global scholarly publishing is shifting toward knowledge sovereignty, with major research-producing nations reducing dependence on commercial publishers.
  • China is building an integrated domestic publishing ecosystem, discouraging 'impact factor' metrics, and incentivizing publication in domestic journals to capture revenue and prestige.
  • The U.S. is scrutinizing the costs of open-access publishing and subscription fees, treating publisher profits as a fiscal and transparency concern.
  • Australia has mandated immediate open access for all publicly funded research, with compliance enforced at the institutional level.
  • Europe is developing 'Open Research Europe,' a publicly owned publishing platform, and promoting the 'diamond open access' model where costs are covered by institutions rather than article processing charges (APCs).
  • India's 'One Nation One Subscription' (ONOS) scheme (2025-2027) allocates ₹6,000 crore to provide access to 13,000 journals for 6,300 institutions.
  • Critique of ONOS: It addresses the 'reading problem' but not the 'publishing problem,' lacks transparency in pricing, and continues to subsidize foreign commercial publishers.
  • Proposed strategy for India: Implement green open-access mandates, enforce rights retention, invest in domestic platforms, and participate in community-governed global infrastructure.

Questions

  1. Critically examine the limitations of the 'One Nation One Subscription' (ONOS) scheme in the context of India's goal to achieve self-reliance in scientific research and knowledge dissemination. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The global scholarly publishing landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift towards public ownership and open access. Discuss how India can leverage this trend to build a more sustainable and sovereign research ecosystem, moving beyond mere subscription-based models. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which of the following best describes the 'diamond open access' model mentioned in the context of scholarly publishing?

  2. What is the primary objective of China's current strategy in the scholarly publishing sector?