Udaipur: A one-day awareness program on the Government of India’s ambitious initiative “One Nation One Subscription” was successfully organized at the Directorate of Research Auditorium of Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. The program was jointly conducted by the university and the Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET), Gandhinagar.

The objective of the program was to familiarize the university community with the significance, utility, technical processes, and potential benefits of this historic national initiative. The event witnessed the participation of 70 delegates from 50 institutions of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities.

Among the distinguished attendees were Dr. Manoj Kumar Mahla, Dean of Rajasthan College of Agriculture; Deans Dr. Dhriti Solanki, Dr. Lokesh Gupta, and Dr. Sunil Joshi from constituent colleges of the university; and Assistant Director of Research Dr. Ravi Kant Sharma, along with senior officials, faculty members, scientists, and researchers.

The program commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Devendra Jain, who emphasized that in the digital era, rapid access to knowledge resources can elevate research quality to new heights. He stated that the “One Nation One Subscription” scheme would open new avenues in agricultural education and research by providing students and scholars with easy and timely access to high-quality international research material. Participants described the initiative as timely and revolutionary.

The Chief Guest, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Dr. Pratap Singh, in his presidential address, described the scheme as a visionary step by the Government of India aimed at ensuring equal access to high-quality global knowledge resources for every student, researcher, and teacher in the country. He noted that previously, access to resources depended largely on the financial capacity of institutions, often disadvantaging smaller and remote institutions. The scheme seeks to eliminate this disparity and democratize access to knowledge.

He further highlighted that access to updated scientific literature is essential for research in areas such as new agricultural technologies, climate change, biodiversity conservation, food security, and sustainable agricultural systems. This initiative, he said, would strengthen agricultural research at the global level and reinforce the national commitment to “Jai Anusandhan” (Hail Research).

Dr. H.K. Tripathi, In-charge, Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture, provided detailed insights into the background, objectives, and implementation process of the scheme. He explained that the initiative ensures nationwide access to high-impact international research journals, databases, and scientific publications for ICAR institutions and agricultural universities. Earlier, institutions subscribed individually to publishers, resulting in unequal access; the new integrated national licensing agreements will ensure uniform benefits to all institutions.

Dr. Kriti J. Trivedi, Scientist at INFLIBNET, stated that the initiative aims to provide access to e-resources from 70 major international publishers to universities, colleges, research organizations, and citizens across the country. She clarified that “One Nation One Subscription” is not merely a subscription scheme but the foundation of a comprehensive digital knowledge infrastructure that will promote research, innovation, and academic excellence.

Dr. Dinesh Ranjan, Head, INFLIBNET, elaborated on the various components of the scheme, particularly the usage monitoring portal. He explained that the portal will enable institutions to analyze resource utilization, ensuring optimal use of available e-resources. Participants were guided on login procedures, access mechanisms, report generation, and data analysis, which will assist in policy formulation and resource management.

The program emphasized that effective use of digital academic resources would enhance research publication quality, citation index, and international collaborations, thereby positively impacting national and global university rankings. The scheme will benefit not only agricultural sciences but also engineering, biotechnology, environmental science, food technology, and social sciences.

In the concluding session, Dr. S.K. Sharma, Assistant Director General, ICAR, New Delhi, expressed gratitude to all participants from North India and appreciated the university administration and the INFLIBNET team for organizing the program. He stated that such awareness initiatives play a significant role in strengthening the culture of research and innovation in the country. He expressed confidence that the “One Nation One Subscription” scheme would prove to be a milestone in advancing India toward a knowledge-based economy.

Certificates were distributed to all participants at the end of the program. The event was coordinated by Mala Ram Modi.

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