7 May 2023

• Defence: The Washington Declaration between the US and South Korea formalised nuclear deterrence cooperation, with implications for the Indo-Pacific.
• Health: The FDA approved the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for adults over 60.
• Culture: Rabindranath Tagore's 162nd birth anniversary was observed on 7 May. He is the only Indian to compose national anthems for two nations.
• Education: The Academic Bank of Credits allows students to accumulate and redeem credits across higher education institutions.
• Biodiversity: The Central Asian Flyway covers 182 bird species across Eurasia.

GS area: International Relations, Security

The Washington Declaration was signed by the US and South Korea on 25 April 2023. Its significance extends to Indo-Pacific security architecture.

• What it does: The US committed to deploying a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea. A Nuclear Consultative Group was established.
• South Korea's commitment: South Korea reaffirmed its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and confirmed the US retains sole authority over nuclear weapons.
• Indo-Pacific context: The declaration strengthens the US alliance architecture in the Pacific and connects to broader commitments under the Quad.
• India's position: India has a no-first-use nuclear doctrine and a credible minimum deterrence posture. It does not participate in extended nuclear deterrence arrangements.

Static linkage: Nuclear doctrine, Indo-Pacific security, India's foreign policy (International Relations).

GS area: History and Culture (Modern India)

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 and died on 7 August 1941. His legacy spans literature, music, philosophy, social reform and institution-building.

• Nobel Prize: First non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1913), for "Gitanjali."
• National anthems: Tagore composed "Jana Gana Mana" (India's national anthem) and "Amar Sonar Bangla" (Bangladesh's national anthem).
• Visva-Bharati University: Founded by Tagore in 1921 at Santiniketan. It later became a central university.
• Santiniketan: Tagore's open-air classroom model. UNESCO recommended Santiniketan for World Heritage status in 2023.
• Knighthood renounced: Tagore returned his knighthood in 1919 to protest the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• Social reform: Tagore opposed untouchability in works including "Chandalika" and "The Sacred Touch." He initiated the Rakhi festival to promote Hindu-Muslim unity during the Swadeshi movement.

Static linkage: Modern Indian history, art and culture, freedom movement (History).

GS area: Science and Technology (Health)

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), developed by GSK.

• Target group: Adults aged 60 and above.
• Disease profile: RSV is a common respiratory virus. It particularly affects young children and elderly adults.
• Spread: Through respiratory secretions and contact with contaminated surfaces.
• Severity: Can cause severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and immunocompromised adults.
• India relevance: RSV causes a significant proportion of acute respiratory illness in India's children and elderly. No RSV vaccine had been available before this approval.

Static linkage: Vaccines, global health, pharmaceutical regulation (Science and Technology).

GS area: Governance (Education policy)

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) allows students to accumulate academic credits from different higher education institutions and redeem them toward a degree.

• Policy basis: National Education Policy 2020 mandated the ABC framework.
• How it works: A student earns credits at one institution, banks them in the ABC, and can apply them toward a degree at a different institution.
• Flexibility goal: Enables multiple entry and exit points. A student who drops out of one programme can re-enter with previously earned credits intact.
• Implementation: The University Grants Commission manages the ABC. Students need an Academic Bank ID.

Static linkage: National Education Policy 2020, higher education reform (Governance).

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, Migratory species)

The Central Asian Flyway covers Eurasia between the Arctic and the Indian Oceans.

• Geographic span: From Siberian breeding grounds in the north to wintering grounds in West and South Asia, including the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
• Species covered: About 182 bird species, 1 in 5 of the world's 11,000 bird species migrate.
• Critical species using this flyway:
  • Baer's Pochard: Critically Endangered.
  • Northern Bald Ibis: Critically Endangered.
  • Greater Adjutant: Endangered.
  • Black-necked Crane: Vulnerable.
• Governing convention: The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), also called the Bonn Convention (1979, in force 1983), is the only global treaty specialising in migratory species conservation. It operates under UNEP.

Static linkage: Migratory birds, Ramsar sites, Convention on Migratory Species (Environment).

• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme: DPIIT conducted a third-party assessment of its 2021 performance. Eligibility: startups incorporated within two years with less than 10 lakh rupees in prior government support. Grants up to 5 crore rupees to incubators; incubators provide up to 20 lakh rupees to individual startups. Target: 3,600 entrepreneurs through 300 incubators over four years.
• Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines: Issued by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Target: zero carbon emissions from Indian ports. Covers green hydrogen, LNG bunkering and offshore wind energy. Awards given to Kandla (best cargo at 137 million metric tonnes), Paradip (overall performance) and JNPT (turnaround time).