ONOS APC Support HUB

Research Publishing Support

Welcome to the ONOS APC Support Hub

Article Processing Charge (APC) is the publication fee charged by many Open Access journals to make research articles freely accessible worldwide. Through the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative, eligible APCs for selected journals are funded by the INFLIBNET Centre, enabling researchers to publish without paying the publication charge, subject to the scheme guidelines.

Rabindra Library, Assam University serves as the institutional support centre for the ONOS APC Scheme. This portal provides official guidelines, application workflow, eligibility information, journal resources and institutional support throughout the APC application process.

426+

Eligible Journals

ONOS

National APC Scheme

INFLIBNET

Funding Agency

AUS

Institutional Support

Quick Navigation

Quick Links

Everything you need for a successful ONOS APC application.

01 Guidelines

ONOS APC Guidelines

Official guidelines covering eligibility, application procedure and institutional approval.

View Guidelines →

02 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about APC funding, eligibility, journals and approvals.

Read FAQ →

03 Journals

Eligible Journal List

Browse journals covered under the ONOS APC Scheme before submitting your application.

Browse Journals →

04 Portal

ONOS APC Portal

Access the official ONOS APC Portal to submit, manage and track your APC application.

Open Portal →

05 Workflow

Application Workflow

Follow the complete APC application process from manuscript acceptance to final publication.

View Workflow →

06 Contact

ONOS Nodal Officer

Prof. Mukut Sarmah
Professor & Acting Librarian
Email: librarian@aus.ac.in

Contact Officer →

ONOS APC Workflow

ONOS APC Application Process

At a glance

Researcher Submit & Get Paper Accepted Prepare the research manuscript. Submit it to an ONOS APC eligible journal. Complete peer review and revisions. Receive the publisher's Acceptance Letter or Acceptance Email. Inform the publisher that the APC will be paid through the ONOS APC Scheme (INFLIBNET Centre).	1
	2	Researcher Register on ONOS APC Portal Register/Login using the Assam University institutional email. Enter article information. Provide journal and publisher details. Add author and co-author information. Complete the Author Contribution Declaration. Review the application. Download the generated Declaration/Application PDF.
Researcher Collect Co-author Signatures Print the downloaded Declaration/Application PDF. Sign the declaration as the corresponding author. Obtain signatures from all co-authors, wherever applicable. Verify that all required signatures have been obtained. Keep the signed declaration ready for institutional endorsement.	3
	4	Registrar (Head of Institution) Institutional Approval Submit the signed declaration to the Registrar, Assam University. Registrar reviews the institutional endorsement. Verifies the applicant's institutional affiliation. Approves the ONOS APC application. Signs the declaration as the Head of Institution.
Registrar's Office Affix Official Institutional Seal Verify the Registrar's signature. Affix the official seal of Assam University. Return the signed declaration to the researcher. Ensure all institutional endorsements are complete. The application is now ready for portal submission.	5
	6	Researcher Upload Documents to ONOS APC Portal Login to the ONOS APC Portal. Open the submitted APC application. Upload the signed Declaration/Application PDF. Upload the publisher's Acceptance Letter or Acceptance Email. Upload the Publisher APC Invoice. Upload additional supporting documents, if required. Review all uploaded documents. Submit the completed application through the portal.
Librarian • ONOS Nodal Officer Institutional Verification Receive the application through the ONOS APC Portal. Verify the researcher's institutional affiliation. Confirm journal eligibility. Review the Declaration/Application and supporting documents. Validate the Acceptance Letter and APC Invoice. Approve and forward the application to the INFLIBNET Centre.	7
	8	INFLIBNET Centre Application Review Receive the application after institutional verification. Verify institutional endorsement and uploaded documents. Validate journal eligibility under the ONOS APC Scheme. Review the APC request for compliance. Approve the application or request clarification, if required.
INFLIBNET Centre Process APC Payment Review and approve the APC request. Process the Article Processing Charge (APC). Pay the APC directly to the publisher. Update the payment status on the ONOS APC Portal. Notify the corresponding author after successful payment.	9
	10	Publisher Article Production & Publication Receive APC payment confirmation. Begin article production and copyediting. Send page proofs to the corresponding author. Incorporate approved corrections. Publish the final article online. Assign a DOI and make the article publicly available.
Researcher Publication Confirmation Login to the ONOS APC Portal. Verify that the article has been published successfully. Confirm the publication details, if required. The ONOS APC application process is successfully completed.	11

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Frequently Asked Questions — ONOS APC

Rabindra Library, Assam University | Common questions about eligibility, process and institutional requirements

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for ONOS APC support?

Eligible applicants are regular faculty members, research scholars, students, or Principal Investigators at Assam University who are affiliated with the university at the time of manuscript submission. The applicant must be either the first author or the corresponding author of the article.

Can I apply if I am a co-author but not the first or corresponding author?

No. The applicant must be the first or corresponding author. Co-authors who don't hold either role can't apply on their own behalf, even if they're affiliated with Assam University. Co-authors may, however, belong to any other institution.

Can a PhD student apply?

Yes. Regular PhD scholars at Assam University are eligible, provided they are the first or corresponding author and their article is accepted in one of the 426 ONOS-eligible journals.

Can I apply if the APC is already covered by my project grant?

No. If the APC is being paid by, or shown as a component of, any government or private project grant, national or international funding, the article is not eligible for ONOS APC support. Claiming both constitutes grounds for full recovery of the amount, in addition to administrative or legal action.

How many times can I apply for ONOS APC support?

There is no stated per-author annual cap in the ONOS guidelines. Support is granted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to fund availability. Contact Rabindra Library or check the ONOS portal for any updates on limits.

My co-authors are from other institutions. Can I still apply?

Yes. Co-authors may be from any institution, in India or abroad. Eligibility is assessed only for the applicant (first or corresponding author), who must be affiliated with Assam University.

Eligible Journals

How many journals are covered under ONOS APC?

426 journals are currently on the ONOS APC eligible list — top-5% Q1 Gold Open Access titles across all disciplines. The list is maintained by INFLIBNET and may be revised periodically.

How do I check if my journal is on the ONOS APC list?

Use the interactive journal search on this site — searchable by title, subject, publisher, or A–Z — or check the official list directly at onos.gov.in/APCTitles ↗. Eligible titles also appear in a dropdown when registering on the ONOS portal.

My paper is in a Hybrid OA journal. Is it eligible?

No. ONOS APC support covers only fully Gold Open Access journals on the eligible list. Hybrid journals, where only some articles are open access, are not covered.

Can I submit to a journal not on the ONOS list and still get APC support?

No. Only journals on the official ONOS list qualify. Verify your target journal is listed before submission, since eligibility cannot be granted after the fact.

Application Process

When should I apply — before or after paper acceptance?

Register on the ONOS APC portal only after receiving the journal's acceptance letter. You will need this letter and an APC invoice addressed to INFLIBNET Centre as part of the application.

Do I need to inform the publisher before applying?

Yes. After acceptance, tell the publisher the APC will be paid directly by INFLIBNET Centre, and request an invoice addressed to INFLIBNET Centre (GSTIN: 24AAATI1480J1ZS, PAN: AAATI1480J1). The invoice should include the journal name, manuscript ID/DOI, APC amount, and the publisher's bank details.

Which email ID should I use to register on the ONOS portal?

Use your Assam University institutional email address (ending @aus.ac.in). The OTP for verification is sent to this address; personal email IDs are not accepted.

Is ORCID mandatory?

Not strictly mandatory, but strongly recommended. Having an ORCID iD simplifies the process and strengthens author identification. Register free at orcid.org if you don't already have one.

The portal timed out before I could complete the form. What should I do?

The portal has a session time limit. Prepare your AADHAAR-registered name, article details, author details and invoice in advance, with all documents ready as PDFs. If it times out mid-form, check "Already Registered Author?" to see if your submission was partially saved; otherwise restart with everything ready.

I submitted the ONOS form. How do I retrieve my Declaration PDF?

Go to onos.gov.in/apc, click "Already Registered Author?", enter your institutional email, and verify with OTP. On the Submitted Article Details page, click the View PDF icon to download the Declaration of Author's Contribution.

What documents do I need to upload to the ONOS portal?

Three documents, uploaded via the "Pending" status link in Existing Submissions: (1) the signed Declaration of Author's Contribution, endorsed by the Registrar, Assam University, and scanned to PDF; (2) the journal's Acceptance Email or Letter; (3) the publisher's APC Invoice, addressed to INFLIBNET Centre.

Declaration & Signing

What is the Declaration of Author's Contribution?

A system-generated PDF, downloaded from the ONOS portal after you submit your application. It lists the paper title, authors with affiliations and ORCID iDs, acceptance date, journal details, each author's contribution type, and a declaration/endorsement section. All co-authors must sign it, and it needs institutional endorsement before upload.

Who signs the "Endorsement from Head of Institution" at Assam University?

At Assam University, the Registrar is the designated signing authority for the Head of Institution (HoI) endorsement. Sequence: all co-authors sign first, then the declaration goes to the Registrar's Office for review, signature and the official seal.

What does the Head of Institution's endorsement certify?

Two things: (a) that the applicant is a bonafide full-time employee, regular student, or affiliated researcher of Assam University (whichever applies); and (b) that if the applicant fails to return an APC amount within the time ONOS specifies, the University will recover it from the applicant and pay it to ONOS.

My co-author is from another institution. Do they need their own institution to sign?

No. The institutional endorsement (by the Registrar) applies only to the applicant's institution — Assam University. Co-authors elsewhere need only sign the declaration themselves; no endorsement from their own institution is required.

Can I use a digital/e-signature on the declaration?

Physical (wet-ink) signatures with the office seal are generally required for the HoI endorsement. Confirm the currently accepted format with Rabindra Library before submission, and scan the fully signed document as one PDF for upload.

Payment & Finance

Do I pay the APC myself and get reimbursed?

No. INFLIBNET Centre pays the APC directly to the publisher. You never pay upfront or seek reimbursement, and the publisher's invoice must be addressed to INFLIBNET Centre — not to you or Assam University.

How long does APC payment take?

After successful submission and nodal officer verification, INFLIBNET typically processes payment in approximately 15–20 working days. You'll get an email notification once payment is made.

Is TDS deducted on APC payments?

Yes. TDS is deducted per Government of India rules on APC payments to publishers. It's worth flagging this to publishers when discussing the invoice.

What happens if my article is retracted after APC is paid?

Important: if the journal retracts the article after ONOS has paid the APC, the author is personally liable to return the full amount, in addition to other administrative or legal action. The Registrar's endorsement commits Assam University to recovering this amount from the author and remitting it to ONOS.

What if I don't confirm publication on the ONOS portal afterward?

Once your article is published, you must log in and confirm publication on the ONOS portal. Skipping this step makes your next article ineligible for ONOS APC support — it's a mandatory closing step, not optional.

Assam University — Institute-Specific

What is Assam University's institute code on the ONOS portal?

Assam University's ONOS institute code is U-0050. When selecting the institution on the portal, choose "Assam University" and confirm the code U-0050 is associated with your entry.

Who is the Nodal Officer for ONOS APC at Assam University?

The ONOS APC Nodal Officer is Prof. Mukut Sarmah, Professor & Acting Librarian, based at Rabindra Library. Reach out at librarian@aus.ac.in or +91 94351 93769.

Where do I submit documents for library verification at Assam University?

Upload the three required documents (signed declaration, acceptance email, APC invoice) via Existing Submissions → Pending on the ONOS portal. Prof. Mukut Sarmah, the Nodal Officer, is notified automatically, reviews the documents, and approves on the ONOS admin portal. For queries, email librarian@aus.ac.in.

I have more questions. Where can I get help?

Rabindra Library, Assam University: librarian@aus.ac.in · +91 94351 93769 (institutional process, nodal verification, endorsement workflow)
ONOS APC Support (INFLIBNET): apcsupport@onos.gov.in · +91-79-2326 8246 (portal issues, payment queries)
ONOS APC Support Portal: onos.gov.in/apc-support ↗

Rabindra Library, Assam University | ONOS APC Support Hub | Powered by INFLIBNET Centre under the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) Programme, Government of India

One Nation One Subscription

ONOS APC Support Guidelines

Rabindra Library, Assam University | For Faculty, Research Scholars & Students

1. About ONOS APC Support

APC (Article Processing Charge) is a fee paid to publish a research article in a Gold Open Access journal after peer review and acceptance.

INFLIBNET Centre, Gandhinagar, under the Government of India's One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) programme, supports APCs for publishing research articles in 426 selected top-5% Q1 Gold Open Access journals. INFLIBNET pays the APC directly to the publisher on behalf of eligible authors.

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The scheme promotes open access, enhancing visibility, citations, and global impact of Indian research.

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Assam University is a participating institution under ONOS.

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APC support is available on a first-come, first-served basis subject to fund availability.

2. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for ONOS APC support, the applicant must satisfy all of the following:

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Must be a regular faculty member, research scholar, student, or Principal Investigator at Assam University at the time of submission of the manuscript.

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The applicant must be the first author OR the corresponding author of the article.

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The journal must be in the official ONOS APC eligible list (426 journals).

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The APC must not be paid by any other national (government or private) or international/multilateral institution, agency, or government.

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The APC must not be shown as a component in any project grant.

Note: Co-authors may be from other institutions. However, only the first or corresponding author affiliated with Assam University can apply.

3. Eligible Journals

The ONOS APC programme covers 426 top-5% Q1 Gold Open Access journals across all disciplines.

• Browse the interactive journal list on this site — searchable by title, subject, publisher, and A–Z.

• Check the official ONOS list at onos.gov.in/APCTitles ↗

If your target journal is not on this list, APC support under ONOS is not available for that article.

4. How to Apply — Step by Step

Before you begin, keep ready: (1) Acceptance letter / email from the journal (2) Proforma / APC invoice from publisher (3) Your AADHAAR-registered name (4) Assam University institutional email (@aus.ac.in) (5) ORCID ID (if available). Prepare a softcopy of all documents — the portal has a time limit.

Submit Your Paper & Complete Peer Review

Submit your manuscript to any eligible journal through the journal's submission portal. Complete the peer review process as required by the journal.

Inform Publisher After Acceptance — Request Invoice

After the article is accepted for publication, inform the publisher that the APC will be paid directly by INFLIBNET Centre. Request a proforma invoice addressed to:

One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
INFLIBNET Centre, An IUC of UGC
InfoCity, Gandhinagar – 382 007, Gujarat, India
GSTIN: 24AAATI1480J1ZS PAN: AAATI1480J1

The invoice must clearly include: Journal Name, Article title / Manuscript ID / DOI, Total APC Amount, and Publisher's bank / payment details.

Visit onos.gov.in/apc ↗. Fill in the registration form: Full Name (as per AADHAAR), Gender, Designation, Department, ORCID ID, State, Institution Name (Assam University), Phone Number, and Assam University email.

Click Get OTP. An OTP is sent to your institutional email. Enter and confirm.

Fill in Article Details

After OTP verification, fill in: Article Title, Publication Name (select from dropdown), Currency & APC amount as per invoice, Research Funder (INFLIBNET Centre, Gandhinagar), Article Type (Research Article), Date Submitted and Date Accepted, Last Date for APC Payment (from publisher), Publisher's Email and Contact Address, Main Subject Area (as per SCOPUS).

Add All Author Details

Add details for each author. Click the + button to add co-authors. For each author provide: Author Type (First / Corresponding / Significant Contributor / Other), Name as per AADHAAR and as per submitted article, Gender, ORCID ID, Nationality, Country of affiliating institution, Name of affiliating institution. Click Next when complete.

Declare Author Contributions & Submit

Assign contribution types to each author (Conceptualisation, Methodology, Data Collection, Formal Analysis, Writing — original draft, Writing — review & editing, Supervision, Funding Acquisition, etc.). Click Submit. The system sends notification emails to all authors and the ONOS Nodal Officer. The Nodal Officer — the Librarian, Rabindra Library — verifies the applicant's bonafide status and approves on the ONOS admin portal.

Download, Sign, and Obtain Institutional Endorsement

After submission, go to Existing Submissions (Already Registered Author? → enter email → OTP). Click the View PDF icon to download the Declaration of Author's Contribution. Print the declaration and obtain:

1. Signatures of all co-authors

2. Signature & seal of the Registrar, Assam University (Endorsement from Head of Institution — see Section 5)

Scan the fully signed document as a single PDF.

Upload Documents to ONOS Portal

Go to Existing Submissions → click Pending status to open the upload page. Upload these three documents:

Document

What to Upload

Signed Author Declaration

Fully signed & scanned Declaration of Author's Contribution (with Registrar's endorsement and seal)

Acceptance Email / Letter

Email or letter from the journal confirming acceptance for publication (PDF)

APC Invoice / Proforma Invoice

Publisher's APC invoice showing the APC amount (PDF)

Post-Submission Process

Stage

Action

ONOS / INFLIBNET Review

INFLIBNET reviews and accepts/rejects based on fund availability (first-come, first-served).

Payment

INFLIBNET pays the APC directly to the publisher's bank account. TDS is deducted as per Government of India rules.

Confirmation

Author receives email notification with payment details. After the article is published, confirm publication on the ONOS portal.

Payment processing time: Approximately 15–20 working days. After payment, the author must confirm publication on the ONOS portal — otherwise their next article will not be eligible for APC support.

5. Institutional Endorsement at Assam University

The Declaration of Author's Contribution (downloaded from the ONOS portal after submission) requires an Endorsement from the Head of Institution before it can be uploaded to complete the APC application.

The endorsement requires the signing authority to certify:

(a) That the applicant author is a bonafide full-time employee of this Institute / regular student of the Institute / researcher affiliated with the Institute (strike off whichever is not applicable).

(b) That in case the applicant has to return the APC charge paid by ONOS and is not paying it within the time specified by ONOS, the Institute will recover the same from her/him and pay the same to ONOS.

Signature from Head of Institution with office seal/stamp is mandatory.

Signing Authority at Assam University: The Registrar is the designated signing authority for the Head of Institution (HoI) endorsement on ONOS APC declarations at Assam University. The official seal is affixed by the Registrar's Office.

Endorsement Workflow at Assam University

Step

Authority

Requirement

1st signature

All co-authors

Sign the declaration form

2nd signature

Registrar, Assam University

HoI endorsement — reviews, approves and signs the declaration

Seal

Registrar's Office

Affixes the official institutional seal and returns the signed & sealed document to the researcher

Verification

Librarian, Rabindra Library (ONOS Nodal Officer)

Verifies uploaded documents and forwards the application to INFLIBNET Centre

6. Documents Checklist

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Acceptance letter or email from the journal (PDF)

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APC invoice / proforma invoice from publisher addressed to INFLIBNET Centre (PDF)

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Completed and signed Declaration of Author's Contribution (downloaded from ONOS portal, signed by all authors and the Registrar — scanned PDF)

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Institutional email ID (@aus.ac.in) for OTP verification

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ORCID ID (if available — strongly recommended)

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AADHAAR-registered name of all Assam University authors

Note: After uploading, the Librarian (ONOS Nodal Officer, Rabindra Library) will verify and approve your application on the ONOS admin portal.

7. Liability — Important Note

Authors shall be personally liable to return the entire amount of APC charges paid by ONOS, in addition to other administrative/legal action, if any of the following is found:

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The article is retracted by the journal.

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APC is paid by any other national (government or private) or international/multilateral institution, agency, or government.

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The APC is shown as a component in any project grant or funding.

In such cases, the Institute will recover the amount from the author as per the endorsement signed by the Registrar.

8. Quick Reference

Institutional ONOS APC Support

Rabindra Library

Assam University, Silchar

ONOS Nodal Officer

Prof. Mukut Sarmah

Professor & Acting Librarian

The ONOS APC applications of Assam University are verified and forwarded through the ONOS Nodal Officer at Rabindra Library.

Official Email

librarian@aus.ac.in

Contact Number

+91 94351 93769

Official ONOS APC Support

apcsupport@onos.gov.in

Assam University Institute Code

U-0050

ONOS APC Portal

onos.gov.in/apc

ONOS APC Support Portal

onos.gov.in/apc-support

Check Eligible Journals

Journal List (this site) or onos.gov.in/APCTitles

ONOS Phone Support

+91-79-2326 8246

Payment Processing Time

~15–20 working days

Institutional ONOS APC Support

Rabindra Library

Assam University, Silchar

U-0050

Institute Code

ONOS Nodal Officer

Prof. Mukut Sarmah

Acting Librarian

Rabindra Library serves as the Institutional ONOS APC Support Centre for Assam University. The ONOS Nodal Officer provides guidance on APC eligibility, institutional verification, application procedures and forwards eligible applications to the INFLIBNET Centre.

Official Email

librarian@aus.ac.in

Primary contact for institutional ONOS APC applications and researcher assistance.

Contact Number

+91 94351 93769

ONOS APC Nodal Officer

Official ONOS Support

apcsupport@onos.gov.in

National support for technical issues, portal access and APC payment related queries.

Support Status

Assam University

Institutional ONOS APC Support Centre, Rabindra Library

Code: U-0050

Researcher Assistance

Need help with your APC application?

The Institutional ONOS APC Support Centre assists faculty members, research scholars and eligible authors throughout the APC application process, including eligibility verification, institutional endorsement, document review and application forwarding under the ONOS APC Scheme.

Office

Rabindra Library

Assam University, Silchar

Institutional ONOS APC Support • Rabindra Library, Assam University

ONOS APC Scheme · INFLIBNET Centre · Government of India