Sheyphali Sharan appointed government spokesperson
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Sheyphali B Sharan has been appointed as the new government spokesperson, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said.
A 1990-batch officer, Sharan will "look after" the charge as Principal Director General (Pr.DG) of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) after incumbent Manish Desai's superannuation on March 31.
Sharan had earlier served as the spokesperson of the Election Commission and the finance ministry.
She is the fifth woman officer to head the PIB after Neelam Kapur, Deepak Sandhu, Shakuntala Mahawal and N J Krishna.
Senior IIS officer Maushami Chakraborty has been appointed director general (news) of All India Radio (AIR).
Chakraborty, a 1991-batch IIS officer, will take charge in April, succeeding Vasudha Gupta.
The ministry notified the appointments on Saturday.
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Root's 41st century leads England to 364 on Day 2 of 5th Ashes test
Sydney (AP): Joe Root's second century of the series led England to 364 all out in its first innings just before tea on Day 2 of the fifth and final Ashes test.
Root's innings was finally ended at 160 from 242 balls on Monday when he popped a return catch to Michael Neser, who dived across the pitch to grasp the ball just inches above the ground.
Neser (4-60) was the pick of Australia's bowlers during the middle session with three wickets, including Will Jacks (27), Root and last wicket of Josh Tongue for a second-ball duck.
Earlier Root's 41st test century, but just his second in an Ashes test Down Under, was the highlight of a morning session that saw Australia chip away at the middle order to have England on 336-6 at lunch.
Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc made early breakthroughs after Root and Harry Brook's partnership had moved to 169 runs and was threatening to take the test away from the hosts, who already have a winning 3-1 lead in the series.
Boland (2-85) ended Brook's equal parts streaky and sublime innings at 84, with Steve Smith taking a sharp catch to bring to a close the best partnership of the series across both teams.
Then Starc (2-93) removed England skipper Ben Stokes (0) for the fifth time this series with a near unplayable delivery that shaped away from the left-hander and the TV umpire review found it took a thin edge on its way through to Alex Carey.
Milestone ton
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After some nervy moments in the nineties as the pitch began showing signs of variable bounce, Root's straight drive off Neser allowed the 163-test veteran to scamper through for two runs and complete his latest milestone off 146 balls, with 11 boundaries.
Root made 138 not out in the second test at Brisbane which was his first century in Australia in his four Ashes tours.
The England star is now level with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on the all-time list of test centurymakers. Only Sachin Tendulker (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) have more.
Jamie Smith made an enterprising, and at times fortunate, 46 before he holed-out to the part-time medium pace of Marnus Labuschagne just before the break.
Root and Jacks then combined for 54-run partnership before Neser's three quick strikes wrapped up the innings.
England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action.
England then won its first Ashes match Down Under since 2011 with a four-wicket win in the Boxing Day test.
