Nepal (PTI): Nisha Mehta, an alumna of the College of Nursing, AIIMS, Delhi, has been appointed as the health minister of Nepal, an official statement said on Sunday.

In a statement, AIIMS Delhi said, "This remarkable achievement is a moment of great pride for the institution and the nursing community at large.”

"Mehta's journey from bedside nursing to a key policy-making role reflects the expanding scope and leadership potential of the nursing profession," the statement said.

During her time at AIIMS, she consistently displayed exceptional leadership qualities, active participation in academic and co-curricular activities, and a strong sense of responsibility – traits that have clearly shaped her path toward higher leadership and public service, it added.

The statement further added that her accomplishment reinforces the vital role nurses play not only in patient care but also in shaping healthcare policies and systems at national and global levels.

“The College of Nursing, AIIMS, New Delhi, extends its best wishes to Mehta for a successful tenure and impactful contributions to public health in Nepal," it added.

Mehta was pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the institution from 2006 to 2010.

She took oath as the health minister of Nepal on March 27.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won a landslide victory in the March 5 poll, securing a massive 182 seats out of the total 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), making it eligible to form a majority government.

This is the first democratically elected government since the coalition government led by former prime minister K P Oli was ousted in September last year, following the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban that escalated into violence.

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Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.

Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.

Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.

At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.

Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.

"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.

The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.

"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.

On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.

Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.