Geotourism is currently being considered as one of the most promising sectors of tourism and is being practiced by many countries rich in this kind of tourism resource. India, as well as one of its easternmost states- West Bengal is blessed with hundreds of such tourism resources. It is being considered as a bright name in the geotourism map of India, drawing few domestic and international visitors. Through the present study, the author has attempted to make an inventory of notable geotourism destinations of Rarh region of West Bengal while assessing their tourism potentiality, strength, opportunity and threat applying the SWOT-AHP analysis of Saaty (1990). It has been inferred that this region has great potential to become a geotourism hotspot in the near future if sustainable planning measures are taken.

Aim: Sikkim state is endowed with rich plant biodiversity. Most of the tribal and rural populations following organic techniques for their livelihood depend on traditional systems for treatment of human ailments. The present work has been carried out to understand the local health traditions and use of common plants for treatment by rural populace of Sikkim. Materials and methods:The medico-ethno botanical survey was conducted by documenting the local health traditions by interviewing traditional healers of tribal and rural population and by collecting medicinal herb specimens and digital photography of herbs and healers for further process. Results:The medico-ethno botanical survey team documented a total of 20 folk claims with 18 medicinal plants used by traditional healers for ailments like wounds, Conclusion:The tribal and rural population of Sikkim lives in remote rural areas with low income, and since it is difficult to afford modern medical treatment, local traditional healers use commonly available medicinal plants from nearby forests for the treatment of different ailments. It is high time to think and use common available medicinal plants in new formulations for treatment and to overcome the problem of substitutes and adulterations and also to conserve rare, threatened, and endangered medicinal plants.

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Petroleum-based plastics may not be sustainable in the long run as crude oil will get scarce. Hence, it is imperative to find alternative sources of material from which plastics can be prepared. Starch, found abundantly in raw banana peel, which is a well-known kitchen waste, can be used to prepare biodegradable plastics. The preparation and some of its properties including its biodegradability have been studied here. A homemade DIY bioplastic sample has been prepared and its biodegradability tested. The world today is suffering an unprecedented menace of plastic pollution. The ubiquitous presence of plastic has sent alarm bells all across the globe. So bioplastics may be the solution.

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