Sci&Tech, Medical and Envirnoment:

A team of doctors from the Institute of Applied Dermatology (IAD) in Kasaragod, Kerala, has come out with a successful treatment for elephantiasis (filarial lymphoedema) by integrating allopathy with ayurveda and yoga.
the unique integrative treatment protocol for the disease was the first of its kind in the world and the success rate was very high.
regular ‘yogasanas' and ‘pranayama' had a telling impact in the early reduction of swelling. They helped in reopening the drainage in the lymphatic system which gets blocked, leading to the swelling of body parts.
The International Lymphoedema Congress in London had awarded Excellence in Lymphoedema Care Award 2009 to IAD.

The State Forests Department is in the process of selecting an agency for external monitoring and evaluation of the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening project (TBCP) for eight years till 2019.
A major component of the project is bio-diversity conservation with emphasis on habitat restoration, enhancement and management, reduction of human-animal conflict and ecologically sustainable development.
The approach will be through community mobilisation, micro-planning and establishment of village-based livelihood programmes.
Another major component is to increase the natural base in which 10 crore trees will be planted

Conservation biologist Krithi K. Karanth has been chosen for the National Geographic Society's 10,000th grant for research on wildlife.
The society's first grant was given in 1890 to explore the uncharted Mount St. Elias region of Alaska.
Underlining the need for creating awareness among the people about wildlife conservation, Ms. Karanth said that broader public support was needed to conserve protected wildlife areas, which now cover less than 3 per cent of the total land area.

The Chief Justice of AP High Court Madan B. Lokur stressed the importance of social media networking to address the problem of human rights violations.
The past year has seen transformation in the lives of people because social media like the Facebook and Twitter played its role effectively in the democratic movements to overthrow repressive regimes in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia
He called for campaigns against human rights violations by making people understand their rights and responsibilities rather than filing petitions in courts and human rights commissions.

The moon's white glow turned into luminescent orange, as its surface was covered by the earth's shadow during the total lunar eclipse on Saturday.
Enthusiasts witnessed the 51-minute spectacle all over the country.

U.N. climate talks on Saturday remained deadlocked as negotiations among 194 nations spilled over to an extra day amid wrangling over crucial issues
India, along with U.S. and China, is under pressure to accept a legally-binding treaty proposed by the EU, which would be signed by 2015 and come into force by 2020.
India on Saturday slammed developed nations for not doing enough to combat global warming as it made an “emotional” appeal for space for basic development for its 1.2 billion people and poverty eradication.
In the midst of growing criticism, Ms. Natarajan told delegates that India — which is being seen as a “deal-breaker” for not agreeing to the a binding treaty — was not holding up the climate talks. “I was astonished and disturbed by the comments of my colleague from Canada who was pointing at us as to why we are against the roadmap,” she said.
“Countries which had signed and ratified it are walking away without even a polite goodbye,” she said. “And yet, pointing at others.”
“It is a factual statement, it is an emotional statement,” the Minister told reporters later.
The EU Roadmap is backed by the Alliance of Small Island States, which wants the treaty to come into force as early as next year. The island nations are especially vulnerable to the rising sea levels and have been pushing for China and India to accept carbon emission cuts.