• direct India-U.S. advanced science and education network  has been setup to supporting enormous data flows between institutions/universities. (terabytes of data in a single download)
• This is a PPP project involving Tata Communication.

• for students and scholar exchange.
• Since 1950, it has benefited thousands of American and Indian students and scholars.

• Encourages the US students to come to India for a semester of study.
• They’ll be given exposure to Indian culture and economy, corporate companies and interaction with political representatives, including the totally awesome legends such as A.Raja.
• was announced during the India-U.S. Higher Education Dialogue held in 2012

• India-Support for Teacher Education Program (In-STEP)
• joint project between USAID and Indian HRD ministry.
• to build the capacity of teacher educators in India.

• Indian culture ministry signed MoU with New York’s Museum for cultural exchanges, training and visits undertaken by museum professionals.
• As part of the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a Chair was established in the University of Chicago

• When Mohan 1^st visited USA in 2009
• Each side committed $5 million each
• funds given to selected colleges and universities.

• for placements of young India faculty and researchers in U.S. universities. (sponsored by UGC)

• University Grants Commission (UGC) of India has finalized guidelines for twinning arrangements between Indian and foreign educational institutions.
• The guidelines will facilitate greater collaboration between Indian and U.S. universities.

• For American students coming to India for internship.

• Tri-valley university visa scam in USA, 2012
• ~400 Indian students were duped in this.

• In Durban platform under UNFCC, the parties decided work toward a climate change agreement applicable to all countries from 2020, to be adopted by 2015.
• Both India-US resolved to work on Durban Platform: with a protocol and legally binding treaty on all parties.

• Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests and USAID initiated a five-year, contract to take Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) actions in India.

• Short-lived climate pollutants include black carbon, tropospheric ozone, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• They are called “Short-lived” because these pollutants have atmospheric lifetimes of only days to a decade and a half (compared to CO2 which can persist in the atmosphere for millenia.)
• India and the U.S. will work together to exchange information on short-lived climate pollutants, including black carbon.

Summits

1. Doha/COP-18 (UNFCC)
2. RIO+20

^click on the names to read full articles on those summits.

• Indian Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Database (IREEED)
• Launched by India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy
• This is an online repository of India’s central and state government renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, regulations, and incentive programs.
• It provides one stop information to benefit of policy makers, project developers, businesses, and consumers.

• India-US Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE).
• When Mohan had visited America in 2009.
• So far, PACE has mobilized ~ $2 billion to India for clean energy projects.
• PACE initiative has financed nearly 40 percent of India’s first 1,000 MW of installed solar energy capacity,

• MOU for Cooperation in Gas
• To increasing the understanding of the geologic occurrence and the potential of methane production
• from natural gas hydrates in India and the United States.
• for more on gas hydrates, read article on Economic Survey ch.11, part 1 of 2

• U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) signed an agreement to help Essar Oil Limited in further assessing its coal bed methane license areas for the presence of commercial grade shale deposits.
• US established a research house with Coal India on coal mine and coal bed methane.
• Coal India is using this facility to explore prospects for commercially viable methane capture systems to both reduce emissions and recycle methane as an energy source.
• This (coal bed methane) will take India to a potential new domestic energy resource offering cleaner alternatives to coal.
• For more on coal bed methane read article on Economic Survey ch.11, part 1 of 2

• discussed the development of an Asian natural gas market to provide more secure and diversified supplies of natural gas throughout the region.

• directors of Indian PSU refineries to meet with U.S. companies specializing in a range of refinery efficiency up-gradation technologies.
• USA is also collaborating with Indian oil and gas companies to capture and reuse fugitive methane from gas facilities.

• America’s “New Silk Road Strategy” links the energy rich Central Asian Republics as Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan with Bangladesh and South East Asia.
• Last year when Hilary visited Mamata, she said Kolkata would become an important hub in this new silk road strategy.

• In Dec 2012, US-India started initiative for concentrated solar power (CSP).
• It converts solar energy into thermal energy (heat). Then heat is used to run steam turbine= electricity produced.
• name of project=SERIIUS (Solar energy research initiative of India and US).