Rupee falls 15 paise to close at 88.31 against US dollar
Mumbai, Sep 22 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 15 paise to close at 88.31 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, as investors weighed Trump's H-1B visa fee hike impact on Indian remittances amid heightened risk-averse sentiment.
Forex traders said the recent hike in H-1B visa fees could contribute to equity outflows from the Indian IT sector in the near term, and could also exert pressure on the Indian rupee.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 88.20, then touched an intra-day low of 88.34 and a high of 88.12 against the greenback. The domestic unit finally settled at 88.31 (provisional), lower by 15 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee appreciated four paise to close at 88.16 against the US dollar.
"We expect the rupee to remain weak as the US visa fee hike may dent market sentiments, which may weigh on the domestic currency.
"Risk aversion in domestic markets may also pressure the rupee. However, overall weakness in crude oil prices may support the rupee at lower levels. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 88.05 to 88.60," said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Currency and Commodities, Mirae Asset ShareKhan.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.12 per cent to 97.52.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.21 per cent lower at USD 66.54 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tanked 466.26 points to settle at 82,159.97, while Nifty dropped 124.70 points to 25,202.35.
Foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 390.74 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
India's forex reserves jumped USD 4.698 billion to USD 702.966 billion for the week ended September 12, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday.
In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had increased USD 4.038 billion to USD 698.268 billion.
Meanwhile, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is leading an official delegation to the US for trade talks.
The delegation plans to hold talks with the US team to take forward discussions with a view to achieving an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
The minister will visit New York, accompanied by the special secretary in the ministry, Rajesh Agrawal, and other officials.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
