Hear from four librarians as they discuss India's recent One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative and its role in expanding access to academic resources.

Each year on August 12, India celebrates National Librarians’ Day to honor the legacy of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan, the father of library science in India. His work laid the foundation for how libraries organize information and serve their communities. Today, librarians continue his legacy by nurturing literacy, preserving cultural heritage, and facilitating access to knowledge in an increasingly digital world.
This celebration takes on new significance in 2025 with the recent launch of the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative, a landmark move by the Government of India to democratize access to scholarly research. Through ONOS, thousands of institutions now have access to publications from more than 30 major international publishers, including ACS Publications. This initiative is a major step toward bridging the research gap between urban and rural institutions, empowering students, faculty, and researchers across India with high-quality academic resources.
To understand how ONOS is impacting libraries so far, we spoke with four librarians from Indian universities.* Below, they share their views on ONOS, how it’s working in practice, and what it means for the future of academic research in India.
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Dr. Nabi Hasan
Dr. Rajesh Singh
Ms. Madhavi Wadkar
Dr. Dibya Kishor Pradhan
Learn more about ONOS
*The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in these interviews are solely those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the American Chemical Society or ACS Publications, including their websites, affiliates, or any other individuals associated with this blog and associated organizations.
In Conversation with Dr. Nabi Hasan

Dr. Nabi Hasan is a distinguished library and information science professional with more than 30 years of experience in the field. He currently serves as the Head Librarian at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where he spearheads initiatives in digital transformation, knowledge management, advanced library services, digital scholarship, open science, and research support to drive innovation and excellence. Prior to this, he was the University Librarian at Aligarh Muslim University.
Dr. Hasan is recognized nationally and internationally for his leadership and contributions to scholarly communication and digital transformation. He is the first Norman E. Borlaug Fellow from India, having received advanced training at Cornell University, USA. His exemplary work has earned him numerous prestigious awards, including Fellow of the Special Libraries Association (FSLA), Engineering Librarian of the Year Award, Bonnie Hilditch International Librarian Award, Royal Society of Chemistry’s Librarians’ Choice Award, SALIS-Dr. Harish Chandra-Sushila Chandra National Best Librarian Award, IEEE Appreciation Certificate (twice), SLA Asia Librarian Excellence Award, and the Rose L. Vormelker Award 2024 (USA). As a PEC member of India’s One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative and through other key roles, he has played a pivotal part in shaping strategies to democratize access to global research resources and strengthen India’s research ecosystem.
In Conversation with Dr. Rajesh Singh

Dr. Rajesh Singh has had a distinguished career in library and information sciences, spanning nearly three decades. He currently serves in a leadership role at the University of Delhi, where has played a pivotal role in modernizing the Delhi University Library System (DULS). Previously, he held positions at various prestigious institutions, including Sainik School Purulia, Indian School of Mines Dhanbad, IASE, and MJP Rohilkhand University.
Dr. Singh’s contributions to the field have been widely recognized. He has received several prestigious awards, including the ILA-Gidwani-Deshpandey Best Academic Librarian Award, the Best University Librarian Award by COLLNET, and the Research Excellence Award by COLLNET, France. Most recently, he was honored with the KAULA Best Librarian Award 2024 at the 70th All India Library Conference in recognition of his outstanding contributions to library science and modernization efforts at the University of Delhi.
Beyond his library leadership, Dr. Singh has held key administrative roles, serving as Treasurer and Chairman of the Governing Body at Sri Aurobindo College, University of Delhi, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi and Bhagani Nivedita College, University of Delhi. He has authored three books, published 54 research papers in national and international journals, developed four course contents, and presented at 22 national and international conferences.
In Conversation with Ms. Madhavi Wadkar

Ms. Madhavi Wadkar is currently working as a Senior Librarian at Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. She is a Science graduate from University of Mumbai and Masters in Library and information Science from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. She has an experience of more than two decades in academic libraries. Prior to joining ICT Mumbai, she has worked in prestigious institutes like SP Jain Institute of Management Studies and Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at SNDT Women’s University.
She presented at various national seminars and conferences. Her areas of interest include E-Resource management and ICT applications and Space redesigning in libraries. She has served on several selection committees as subject expert for selection and promotion of Librarians. She has been invited for expert talks and conducting workshops on research services & tools at many colleges. She also is a part of many activities and committees at ICT, Mumbai.
In Conversation with Dr. Dibya Kishor Pradhan

Dr. Dibya Kishor Pradhan is the Deputy Librarian at the Central Library, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela. He has also served at NIT Goa and other reputed institutions. With nearly two decades of experience in academic librarianship, he has been involved in managing digital information services and improving access to scholarly resources in higher education. His research interests include digital libraries, electronic resource management, knowledge organization systems, open access, open-source software, bibliometrics, and information retrieval. He is especially interested in making electronic resources more organized and accessible to support teaching, learning, and research.
He has contributed to several national and international conferences, scholarly journals, and edited books. He is also involved in implementing institutional repositories and content management systems. His efforts in promoting open access and digital transformation on library services that helping academic communities benefit from better access to knowledge and information.
Enhancing Global, Interdisciplinary Research with ACS Publications
All participating members of ONOS will have access to ACS Publications’ full portfolio of journals, which includes more than 70 hybrid journals and 19 fully open access journals. As new titles are introduced, users will automatically have uninterrupted access without needing additional steps. Many ACS journals are multidisciplinary, covering a broad array of research areas. Even niche journals support—or are supported by—various fields of study, meaning more than one ACS journal could hold the answers you need.
Learn more about the many benefits and resources ONOS members can access from ACS Publications.
