6 days ago
4000 institutes didn't get One Nation One Subscription benefits: Centre's panel
Nearly 4,000 of 7,008 eligible institutions under the Ministry of Education's One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme have not yet received its benefits, a parliamentary panel has Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, has directed the government to furnish updated information on the current status of the scheme's ONOS scheme, a new Central Sector Scheme, has been allocated a total budget of about Rs 6,000 crore for three calendar years — 2025, 2026 and
It aims to provide institutions across India with access to academic and research resources through a unified subscription IMPLEMENTATION CONCERNSIn its report, the Committee noted that while the ONOS scheme has been approved and implemented, its rollout has been slower than expected.'The Committee notes that the ONOS scheme has been approved and implemented. The Committee's recommendation had called for the accelerated implementation of the ONOS scheme. However, as the Committee noted in its 364th Report on Demand for Grants of the Higher Education Department (FY 24-25), about 4,000 of the 7,008 eligible institutions had still not received the benefits of the ONOS,' the report panel has asked the Department of Higher Education to provide updated information on steps taken to accelerate the scheme's coverage so that all eligible institutions can avail of its intended OVER ANRF FUND UTILISATIONThe Committee has also raised concerns over the functioning of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), established under the ANRF Act, acknowledged that the Act was brought out in letter and spirit, with provisions for an Executive Council to give high-level strategic directions, monitor performance, and envision the implementation of the Foundation's the panel flagged that the ANRF had not been able to spend any of its budgeted funds for the previous financial FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND PROGRESSThe report noted, 'As per the provisions, an Executive Council was constituted wherein high-level strategic directions were given, performance monitored and implementation of the objectives of the Foundation was envisioned. However, in its discussions on the Demands for Grants of the Department of Higher Education in FY 2024-25, the Committee was informed that the ANRF had not been able to spend any of its budgeted funds for the previous financial year.'The panel has asked to be apprised of the current status of ANRF's functioning and any further initiatives undertaken to ensure it meets its objectives the ONOS and ANRF initiatives are seen as critical for advancing research and education in India. The Committee's recommendations stress that timely implementation and proper fund utilisation are essential to achieve their goals.- Ends
