India and the United States on Monday inked four memoranda of understanding (MoU) and two agreements, including one on the energy cooperation programme that will mobilise private sector expertise and resources to address important energy related issues in the two countries. On the sidelines of the official delegation-level talks led by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the officials got down to sign these documents the two sides have worked upon and kept ready in draft form. The energy cooperation MoU, signed by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia with US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, lays stress on funding of studies and projects on clean and efficient energy best practices, including grid-connected and off-grid power from renewable energy, smart grids, transportation efficiency as also unconventional gas resources and advanced biofuels. Yet another agreement on setting up a joint clean energy research and development centre was signed by Biotech Secretary M K Bhan with US ambassador Timothy Roemer. Both India and US will provide US $5 million each year for five years each in the 10-year project. Initial priority will be to solar energy and second generation biofuels. The agreement envisages private funding to match both India and US government funding. The US ambassador also signed another MoU with Atomic Energy Secretary Dr Srikumar Banerjee for setting up a global centre for nuclear energy partnership in India, a brainchild of Dr Manmohan Singh that he announced in the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April. "As countries having advanced nuclear technology, both India and the United States would like to promote cooperation on initiatives aimed at strengthening global nuclear security and addressing threats of nuclear terrorism," a statement attached to the MoU said. Other MoUs and agreements signed are: GLOBAL DISEASE DETECTION INDIA CENTRE: For development of human resources in epidemiology and laboratory, sharing best practices for detection and response to emerging infections, surveillance for emerging infectious diseases, advanced training in field epidemiology, and building laboratory capacity in India to diagnose emerging infectious diseases. The MoU's validity is five years. MONSOON RAINFALL PREDICTION: Technical cooperation to create a model to predict Indian summer monsoon rainfall. The Indian and US scientists will work jointly for predictions during 2011 monsoon utilising a global model. The Natinal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is setting up a "Monsoon Desk" to coordinate numerical model simulations and diagnostics with the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and India Meteorological Department. The agreement is for five years. SHALE GAS RESOURCES: Assessment of shale gas resources in Indian basins by the US Geological Survey and training of Indian personnel in making such assessments.