Heena Sharma Blog

Auto electricals manufacturer Lucas-TVS will exiting its joint venture by selling its 29.9 per cent stake in the company to Japanese partner Koito Manufacturing, for around Rs 148.5 crore. The joint venture, India Japan Lighting (IJL), was established in 1997 to manufacture and sell automotive lighting equipment. Since then, IJL has been supplying automotive lighting equipment mainly to Japanese automotive manufacturers in India. "With the changes taking place in the lndian automotive industry, both the partners have agreed that Koito will assume 100 per cent ownership in IJL, towards the end of December 2019, and going forward, they will proceed to focus on their respective strategic initiatives," said a statement by Arvind Balaji, joint managing director of Lucas-TVS. "In India, where the automotive market is expected to grow over the long-term, it would be necessary for the Koito Group and IJL to accelerate its decision-making," Koito Group said. Rea...

The Indian Space Research Organisation has gotten over the setback it suffered on account of the Chandrayaan-2 mission , and has ended the year with six launch vehicle missions and seven satellite missions. The number is lower than that achieved in 2018, when Isro had completed 16 missions and was preparing for some major milestones, including the launch of Chandrayaan-2, preparing for India's first human space programme 'Gaganyaan' and its mission to the Sun: Aditya-1. At the beginning of the year 2019, Isro said it was planning as many as 32 missions, including 14 launch vehicles, 17 satellite and one Technology Demonstration missions. The complex Chandrayaan-2 and the development flights of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle or SSLVs, were an intrinsic part of this plan. SSLVs are the new member in the Launch Vehicle family. After completing 16 missions in 2018, Isro started the year 2019 not with a launch, but with the signing of an MoU with industries to outsourc...

India's Rohit Sharma on Sunday broke Sanath Jayasuriya's 22-year-old record for most runs in a calendar year by an opener across formats while skipper Virat Kohli reaffirmed his supreme status by finishing as the leading run-getter in 2019. Kohli amassed 2455 runs across formats as his 85 helped India beat West Indies by four wickets in the series-deciding third ODI here on Sunday. His limited overs deputy Rohit shattered another record in the run chase. Coming into the third and final ODI against the West Indies here, Rohit was only nine short of eclipsing the former Sri Lankan swashbuckler, who tallied 2387 runs in 1997. When the Mumbaikar got out for a run-a-ball 63 at the Barabati Stadium, Rohit aggregated 2442 runs. The batsman scored 10 hundreds across formats and as many half centuries in the year, averaging 53.08 in 47 innings. Read More

Two time World Cup winning former India captain MS Dhoni on Monday completed 15 years in international cricket, a milestone that has come at a time when he is on a sabbatical from the game. The dasher from Ranchi, who made his debut against Bangladesh under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy in 2004, has been one of country's most impactful cricketers with 17266 runs across all formats for India. The 38-year-old wicketkeeper turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20 Internationals while affecting a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps. His career is studded with several milestones including leading India to victory in the 2011 World Cup where finished the match with a six to help the 'Men in Blue' lift the coveted trophy. Under Dhoni India transformed into one of the most successful limited-overs sides in world cricket and he is the only Indian captain to have won all the three major ICC trophies -- the World Cup in 2011, the T20 World Cu...

Tribals’ dissatisfaction with the slow implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), which offers formal recognition of forest-dwellers’ land rights, could be a deciding factor in more than 62 of the 81 Assembly constituencies in the Jharkhand state elections , an independent research group said. The analysis is based on the fact that the number of SC/ST voters eligible for land rights under the FRA was more than the margin of victory in the last election in 58 of the 62 seats considered FRA-sensitive. Nearly 70% of the population in constituencies spread across Jharkhand —Chakradharpur, Gumla, Latehar and Simdega, for example — belong to the SC/ST category. Analysing the results of the 2014 Assembly elections in these 62 constituencies, researchers concluded that any political party that promised effective implementation of the FRA and other laws protecting land rights of tribals could defeat the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party. The FRA, which came into effect in 2006, i...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday accused the RJD and the JMM of being complicit in the scams that surfaced during the UPA rule. Adityanath, while addressing an election rally here, said people were vexed with scams during the Congress-led UPA rule while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the country on the path of development. "During UPA rule, funds earmarked for development schemes used to go to the coffers of their party leaders. The RJD and the JMM were complicit in the scams that surfaced then. People were vexed with the issue and had staged protests. "But you voted Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister and the country is now flooded with developmental schemes," he said. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister said people irrespective of their religion and women, youth, farmers and the poor have been benefited by schemes of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state. Read More

The fifth and final phase of polling in 16 assembly constituencies of Jharkhand passed off peacefully, Election Commission officials said here. An estimated 70.83 per cent of the total 4 million voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm when the polling ended, they said. However, voting for five left wing extremists affected seats had ended at 3 pm, after the exercise to all the constituencies commenced at 7 am. The polling percentage is likely to increase as information from all the booths is yet to reach the poll panel, the officials said. BJP candidate and Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh is seeking re-election from Sarath constituency, while another saffron party nominee and Women and Child Development Minister Louis Marandi is pitted against JMM working president Hemant Soren in Dumka. Marandi had defeated Soren in 2014 assembly elections. The JMM leader is also contesting the polls from Barhait seat. His sister-in-law Sita Soren is seeking re- elect...