Urban local bodies told to ensure water harvesting, green cover

In a bid to improve ground water level in the state's urban areas, the state government has ordered all urban local bodies – municipal corporations, urban development authorities and municipalities – to immediately create a system at the local level for maximum ground water recharge, ensuring water harvesting and take up plantations to improve green cover in the cities.

Here's a people's solution from a people's president. Besides making India a developed country by 2020, Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam says PURA (providing urban amenities in rural areas) could also be a remedy for the present economic roil.

Dr Kalam says his dream of a developed India by 2020 is possible despite the challenges. PURA is critical to achieving this dream as well as to overcome economic uncertainties, Kalam told DNA about his India 2020 Vision. The vision is India's most debated document on development for a decade now.

Just two glasses of milk a day can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease in old age, suggests a new study

Of all planets Saturn is the most spectacular. Even those looking through an astronomical telescope for the first time don’t want to miss Saturn with its rings. The planet was indeed unusual in the sense that it seemed to be the only planet surrounded by rings. Over the years that uniqueness is lost: rings have now been discovered around all giant planets like Uranus and Jupiter.  

After the externment of five Sri Ram Sene activists including convenor Prasad Attavar by Dakshina Kannada district magistrate V Ponnuraj last week, Pramod Mutalik, Sri Ram Sene chief, has said he will defy the externment order and enter Mangalore with 10,000 Sene workers.

Mutalik said at a press conference on Sunday: “I will defy the externment and ban order with impunity and sheer brute force.” He claimed he would enter Mangalore with a force of 10,000 Sene workers to oppose the “hate politics being unleashed by the government or the party in power.” 

IIA has in its possession the mathematician’s 400-year-old book, which might be his only orginal work available in India

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore had written to libraries across the country to find out whether they are in possession of original works of Johannes Kepler, the legendary German mathematician and astrologer.

The IIA has in its possession one of Kepler’s rare books. It is 400 years’ old and is written by the mathematician himself. It was published in 1609 and could be his only original work found in India.

The Karnataka High Court has set up a green bench under the aegis of Chief Justice PD Dinakaran to hear cases relating to environment and forests including mining. The bench that sits every Friday for the hearings has a state-wide jurisdiction. Vaishalli Chandra spoke to the co-ordinator of the Environment Support Group, India, Leo Saldanha, on how effectively could the green bench help create environmental awareness.

Do you welcome the green bench?