Rupee rises 26 paise to 89.92 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee rose 26 paise to 89.92 against US dollar in early trade on Wednesday aided by a weaker greenback and a sharp drop in global crude oil prices.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 90.20 against the US dollar but kept rising to trade at 89.92, up 26 paise from its previous close.
The rupee snapped its four-day losing streak to appreciate 12 paise to settle at 90.18 against the American currency on Tuesday.
"The rupee opened firmer even as (US President) Donald Trump continues to threaten India with more tariffs. Exporters are expected to continue selling at high of the day on cash/spot basis while importers will buy the dips and more if the fall is close to 90 for the dollar," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.52.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.05 per cent lower at USD 60.06 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 169.64 points to 84,909.30 in early trade, while Nifty was down 42.35 points to 26,128.90.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 107.63 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
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Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, champion of Western Ghats conservation, dies at 83
Pune (PTI): Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil, known for his work on the conservation of Western Ghats, has passed away in Pune after a brief illness, family sources said on Thursday.
He was 83.
Gadgil breathed his last late Wednesday night at a hospital in Pune, the sources said.
He played a pioneering role in shaping India's ecological research and conservation policy.
Gadgil was the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), popularly known as the Gadgil Commission.
In 2024, the United Nations presented Gadgil with the annual Champions of the Earth award, the UN's highest environmental honour, for his seminal work on the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot.
He had chaired the government-constituted Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel to study the impact of population pressure, climate change, and development activities on the ecologically fragile region in India.
In 2010, Gadgil was appointed chairman of the panel, which submitted a landmark report recommending that a significant portion of the Western Ghats be designated as ecologically sensitive. While the report triggered intense debate, it is widely regarded as a milestone in India's environmental discourse.
Born in Pune on May 24, 1942, Gadgil hailed from an illustrious academic family. His father, Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil, was a noted economist and former director of the Gokhale Institute.
Madhav Gadgil graduated in biology from Fergusson College in 1963 and completed his master's degree in zoology from the University of Mumbai in 1965. He went on to pursue a PhD from Harvard University in 1969, where he worked on mathematical ecology and animal behaviour.
After returning to India in 1971, Gadgil joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1973.
During his tenure at IISc, he established key institutions, including the Centre for Ecological Sciences and the Centre for Theoretical Studies, laying the foundation for modern ecological research in the country.
He retired from IISc in 2004 and later continued his academic engagement with the Agharkar Research Institute in Pune and the University of Goa.
Gadgil served on several high-level national and international bodies, including the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the National Advisory Council, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
A prolific researcher and writer, Gadgil authored or co-authored several influential books, including 'This Fissured Land' and 'Ecology and Equity', and published over 250 scientific papers.
He was also a regular columnist, writing extensively in English and Marathi to popularise ecological awareness.
Gadgil's contributions earned him numerous national and international honours, including the Padma Shri (1981), Padma Bhushan (2006), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Volvo Environment Prize, and Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.
His last rites will be performed later in the day.
