From 'Jai Vigyan' to 'Jai Anusandhan': assess how ANRF, the RDI Scheme and ONOS together address the structural weaknesses of India's research ecosystem.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee added 'Jai Vigyan' to the national motto, and the Prime Minister has now added 'Jai Anusandhan'. The change moves the focus from honouring science to building research capacity [1]. That capacity is still thin: India's Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) was only 0.64% of GDP in 2020-21 [2]. ANRF, the RDI Scheme and ONOS each target a different weak link. Together they form a coherent reform, but not yet a complete one.

Structural weaknesses and how the three respond

• Uncertain, scheme-based funding for universities → ANRF has a statutory base under Act 25 of 2023, in force from 5 Feb 2024. It absorbs SERB and gives university research a legal and stable funding channel [3].
• Weak private R&D, stuck at about 0.25% of GDP [4] → the RDI Scheme offers ₹1 lakh crore of long-term capital for private R&D in sunrise and strategic sectors. A Special Purpose Fund within ANRF holds the money [5]. It reaches firms through expert Second-Level Fund Managers (TDB, BIRAC) [6].
• Unequal access to knowledge → ONOS spends about ₹6,000 crore (2025–27) on roughly 13,000 e-journals from 30 publishers. Access covers 6,300+ government institutions through INFLIBNET, with a further ₹150 crore a year for open-access publishing fees [7].

ONOS (access) → ANRF (basic research) → RDI (lab-to-market)

Fig: The three schemes cover the research pipeline from reading to use

Limitations

• Inputs counted, not outcomes: the real test is whether the private share of GERD rises, not how much money is released [2].
• Delivery lag: the two-tier fund-manager route adds steps before money reaches a lab [6].
• Crowding-out risk: ANRF handles both university grants and the RDI fund, so the larger fund may pull attention away from basic science [3][5].
• Dependence and exclusion: ONOS buys access, not ownership. Publishers are paid once for reading and again for open-access publishing. Private colleges were not covered at approval [7].

Together, the three schemes move India from praising science to funding the whole pipeline. The next step is to measure results. DST should report ANRF's university grants and RDI disbursements separately each year. INFLIBNET should publish journal-wise usage data before ONOS is renewed in 2027. With these checks, 'Jai Anusandhan' can advance scientific temper (Article 51A(h)) and SDG 9.5 on research capacity.