Rupee rises 49 paise to 89.17 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee rebounded on Monday from record lows, rising 49 paise to 89.17 against the greenback in early trade on US dollar selling by banks and a dip in global crude oil prices.
A positive opening in the domestic equity markets and intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lent support to the domestic unit, according to forex traders.
The rupee opened at 89.46 against the greenback before rising to 89.17, up 49 paise from its previous close.
The rupee plunged 98 paise to close at its lifetime low of 89.66 against the US dollar on Friday, due to a huge demand for the greenback in the domestic forex market amid widespread selling pressure in local and global equities and trade-related uncertainties.
In the steepest fall in over three years, the domestic currency nosedived 98 paise to finally settle at 89.66 against the American currency.
The previous biggest one-day fall was recorded at 99 paise against the dollar on February 24, 2022.
"Most traders believe that rupee may not cross 90 as it may remain protected for a few more weeks and expect a positive (India-US) trade deal outcome by December-end. The market is bracing for more weakness after the rupee slid to a record low on Friday," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
In the absence of a trade deal, the 90-mark doesn't seem quite distant now, he added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was marginally up by 0.01 per cent at 100.18.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.10 per cent lower at USD 62.50 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex climbed 218.44 points to 85,450.36 in early trade while Nifty was up 69.4 points to 26,137.55.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 1,766.05 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
India's forex reserves jumped USD 5.543 billion to USD 692.576 billion during the week ended November 14 due to a steep increase in the value of gold reserves, the RBI said on Friday.
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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.
