India conveyed its association with the Copenhagen Accord to the United Nations Framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) secretariat by pronouncing its domestic mitigation actions to prevent climate change. India told the UNFCCC that it would endeavour to reduce emissions intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 - 25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 levels.
India has clarified that the domestic mitigation actions will be entirely voluntary in nature and will not have a legally binding character. The actions will not apply to the agriculture sector.
China`s voluntary mitigation actions will be to the lowering of CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 40 - 45 percent by 2020 compared to the 2005 levels. The US announced a 17% cut in the greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels.
The cabinet committee on infrastructure accorded in principle approval for the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that would inter connects all knowledge institutions. To be implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) within next two years, will connect around 1,500 institutions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested the biggest and most powerful rocket motor called S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellants in Sriharikota.
This test is a vital step in the development of ISRO`s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV MK-III), which will put a satellite weighing four tonnes in orbit.
S-200 is the third biggest solid rocket motor in the world after the booster rocket of NASA`s space shuttle and that of Arianespace`s Ariane-5 launch vehicle.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) launched a total of 10 Rohini series indigenous sounding rockets from the Thumba, Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to investigate the effects of the longest annular solar eclipse of this millennium.
A team of five, including the present and past students of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras won a business competition plan in New York and is to setup shop in New York to commercialize product called `XEstor` which uses algorithms to store parameters and interfaces with the grid, thereby powering large networks and reducing power loss.
The test flight of Astra, Beyond Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) was successfully carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.M
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while launching Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, called for creation of `Solar Valleys` in India, akin to the Silicon Valley, as a contribution to the national as well as global efforts at combating climate change.