Policy Update
Rashmi Kumari
Introduction
In this digital age, access to quality academic resources is now a ‘need’ rather than a ‘want’. This awareness led the Ministry of Education to launch the e-ShodhSindhu (eSS) scheme in December 2015, enabling all Indian academic institutions to access quality electronic resources in a cost-effective and equitable manner. India now has democratized access to quality content, including research journals, databases, e-books, and more.
The most impactful contribution of the eSS scheme may be the unification and streamlining of access to these digital academic resources. Before eSS, institutions were accessing resources through different consortia, and insufficient collaboration and duplicated effort in accessing electronic resources appeared to be recognized. The e-ShodhSindhu scheme brought together three consortia: the UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium, the INDEST-AICTE Consortium, and the N-LIST consortium for colleges. This created an opportunity for better centralised procurement, engaged negotiation with publishers, greater institutional coverage, and improved sharing of resources.
Image Source:https://ess.inflibnet.ac.in/
The scheme works through the INFLIBNET Centre, an Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC), headquartered at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. From subscription management and institutional access to infrastructure development, training, and monitoring of usage, INFLIBNET takes care of all. Besides eSS, it also supports other academic platforms like Shodhganga (Indian thesis repository), Shodhgangotri (research in progress), and the N-LIST program. Transparency and efficiency in the functioning of these platforms have been further enhanced by the use of tools such as InfiStats (monitoring usage statistics) and JCCC@eSS for inter-library loans.
e-ShodhSindhu is more than just a resource-sharing platform that bridges the digital divide and strengthens India’s academic infrastructure; it is the foundation of India’s emerging knowledge economy, empowering students, researchers, and educators.
Functioning of the Scheme
e-ShodhSindhu operates on a consortium-based model, wherein institutions subscribe to a common pool of e-resources that are negotiated and licensed centrally by INFLIBNET. Each institution is provided access based on its IP address, enabling seamless retrieval of subscribed content via the eSS portal. INFLIBNET ensures smooth technical onboarding, including IP whitelisting, proxy configurations, and remote login capabilities. Continuous usage monitoring through the InfiStats platform allows for evidence-based renewal and decision-making.
Main Components and Sub-Components of e-ShodhSindhu Scheme:
- Electronic Resource Access (Core Component)
- E-Journals: Access to peer-reviewed journals from publishers such as Springer, Wiley, Elsevier (limited), JSTOR, Taylor & Francis, Oxford University Press, etc.
- E-Books: Full-text books from Cambridge University Press, Elsevier ScienceDirect, Springer, and others.
- Databases: Scopus, Web of Science, MathSciNet, and bibliographic or citation databases.
- Archives: Historical archives like the South Asia Archive and JSTOR’s backfiles.
- Subject-specific Collections: Resources tailored for technical institutes, management schools, humanities, law, and social sciences.
- Membership Management (Institutional Integration Component)
- Consortium Eligibility & Enrollment: Criteria and process for universities, CFTIs, and colleges (through N-LIST).
- Subscription Management: Annual fee collection and renewal protocols.
- Institutional Authentication: IP-based and remote access configuration for members.
- Licensing and Negotiation (Governance Component)
- Publisher Negotiations: Centralized price bargaining and bundled subscriptions.
- License Agreements: Framed by INFLIBNET to define access rights, restrictions, archiving, etc.
- Legal Compliance: Ensuring adherence to digital rights and fair use.
- Access Infrastructure (Technical Component)
- eSS Portal (ess.inflibnet.ac.in): Centralized web gateway for all institutional members.
- JCCC@eSS: Document delivery service and inter-library loan for resources not directly subscribed.
- InfiStats Portal: Usage analytics and access tracking for publishers and institutions.
- Authentication System: IP-based access management and remote access provision.
- Capacity Building (Human Resource Development Component)
- Workshops and Training: Librarian and faculty training on resource usage, discovery tools, and citation management.
- User Guides & Tutorials: Digital handbooks and video tutorials for end users.
- Help Desk Services: Support for login, access errors, subscription clarifications, etc.
- Monitoring and Evaluation (Oversight and Review Component)
- National Steering Committee: Governing body composed of experts from UGC, INFLIBNET, and academia.
- Usage Analysis Reports: Periodic review of database and journal usage via InfiStats.
- Institutional Feedback Mechanism: Institutional reports and satisfaction surveys (in development).
- Renewal Strategy: Based on cost-per-download and subject-wise usage to optimize subscriptions.
- Integration with National Digital Ecosystem (Collaborative Component)
- Integration with N-LIST: College-level access through the N-LIST platform.
- Linkages with Shodhganga: Indian theses repository for citation and full-text reference.
- Alignment with NDLI, SWAYAM, NIRF: Harmonization with other Ministry of Education initiatives.
Performance & Achievements
- Massive Reach– Membership includes approximately 137 state universities, 42 central universities, 20 deemed universities, 24 IITs/IISc, 7 IISERs, and more, totalling over 300 Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and over 9,000 colleges. Over 358 higher educational institutions were initially registered under 12 states/UTs; current coverage has grown significantly.
- Extensive Resources– Resource portfolio includes 10,000+ journals, 135,000+ e-books, 42 databases, 15,000+ e-journals, and a 6 million-page digital archive. Coverage spans all disciplines—from sciences and engineering to humanities, law, agriculture, and medicine.
- Cost Benefits & Negotiated Pricing– Indian institutions enjoy substantial savings through collective bargaining, enabling access to top-tier publishers at negotiated, reduced prices. Central funding reduces the financial burden on individual institutions.
- Enhanced Usage & Impact– The platform sees millions of downloads monthly, with notable usage spikes during the COVID-19 lockdowns. There has been a measurable increase in publications and citations from Indian institutions in indexed journals, particularly in social sciences, engineering, and science fields.
- Capacity Building & Training– INFLIBNET regularly conducts workshops and publishes user guides to train librarians, faculty, and students in areas such as database navigation, fair usage, and remote access protocols.
- Integration with the National Research Ecosystem– e-ShodhSindhu is seamlessly integrated with national platforms like Shodhganga, National Digital Library of India (NDLI), SWAYAM, and reference tools such as citation databases, fostering a cohesive and unified research environment.
Impact
- Democratising Knowledge– Levelled the playing field: Tier‑2 and remote institutions now have access to the same resources as top universities.
- Boosting Research Excellence– Accelerated quality research: easy access to high-impact sources facilitates literature reviews, interdisciplinary research, and global collaborations.
- Enriching Curriculum Delivery– Faculty leverage e-journals and databases to create data-driven and current syllabi.
- Fostering the Open Access Mindset– Exposure to varied publishing models encourages greater adoption of open access in India.
- Infrastructure Resilience– Enabled continuous access during COVID by supporting off-campus logins and digital infrastructure.
Challenges
- Digital Divide– Tier-3 institutions often face gaps in infrastructure, bandwidth, and awareness, resulting in underutilization.
- Language & Accessibility Constraints– The majority content is in English; limited interfaces or content in regional languages restrict wider usage.
- Licensing Restrictions– Publisher policies often limit downloads, sharing, or past archival access, complicating research workflows.
- Uneven Subject Representation– STEM journals dominate; humanities, regional studies, and open‑access publishers are underrepresented.
- Coordination Complexity– Managing IP, logins, remote access, and institutional admin units can be challenging, especially with staff turnover and limited training.
- Feedback & Usage Tracking– The InfiStats portal exists, but real-time feedback loops to guide ongoing procurement remain underdeveloped.
Way Forward
- Infrastructure Strengthening– Expand digital infrastructure, redundant networks, and updated lab equipment, to ensure equitable access.
- Targeted Training & Awareness– Conduct multilingual workshops in local colleges; develop online certification modules and resource demos.
- Multilingual Content & Interfaces– Provide metadata, abstracts, or summaries in regional languages; translate guides and portal searches to enhance inclusivity.
- Integrate Open Access Materials– Work with DOAJ, Indian open-access journals, and preprint repositories to diversify coverage and reduce reliance on paywalled content.
- Advanced Portal Features– Incorporate AI-based search, recommendation systems, and API integrations with reference management tools.
- Stronger Usage Analytics & Feedback– Optimize InfiStats to provide dashboards at the institutional and individual levels, and set mechanisms for quarterly review and recommendations.
- Collaboration & Networking– Organize national-level consortia workshops, webinars, and peer-learning networks for librarians and administrators.
- Policy Support– Encourage NEP‑aligned policies at the state/university level to routinely mandate e-resource integration in curricula and research evaluations.
Conclusion
The e‑ShodhSindhu initiative, executed by the INFLIBNET Centre, marks a transformative milestone in India’s academic progression, providing scalable, equitable, and cost-efficient access to electronic knowledge. By underpinning key academic resources, from high-impact journals to historical archives, the scheme has accelerated research output and pedagogical quality across the nation.
However, to sustain its momentum and aspire toward global research leadership, e‑ShodhSindhu must address digital inequalities, licensing friction, multilingual access, and agile governance. Bolstered by strong institutional support and technology enhancements, the scheme can mature into a full-fledged National Digital Library and Research Portal, cementing India’s status as a knowledge-driven society.
References
- INFLIBNET Centre. (n.d.). e-ShodhSindhu: Consortium for Higher Education Electronic Resources. Retrieved July 17, 2025, from https://ess.inflibnet.ac.in
- INFLIBNET Centre. (n.d.). Shodhganga: A reservoir of Indian theses. Retrieved July 17, 2025, from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
- INFLIBNET Centre. (n.d.). National Library and Information Services Infrastructure for Scholarly Content (N-LIST). Retrieved July 17, 2025, from https://nlist.inflibnet.ac.in
- INFLIBNET Centre. (n.d.). InfiStats: Usage statistics monitoring service. Retrieved July 17, 2025, from https://ess.inflibnet.ac.in/infistats
- INFLIBNET Centre. (n.d.). JCCC@eSS: Inter-library loan and document delivery service. Retrieved July 17, 2025, from https://jccc.inflibnet.ac.in
About the contributor: Rashmi Kumari is a Research Intern at IMPRI and a Master’s student in Economics at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune.
Acknowledgement: The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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