Rupee falls 16 paise to all-time low of 82.33 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 16 paise to an all-time low of 82.33 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday as a firm American currency and risk-averse sentiment among investors weighed on the local unit.
Moreover, a negative trend in domestic equities and elevated crude oil prices sapped investor appetite, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 82.19 against the greenback, then fell to 82.33, registering a fall of 16 paise over its previous close.
On Thursday, the Indian currency for the first time closed below the 82 level against the greenback. It plunged 55 paise to close at a record low of 82.17 against the US currency.
"An uptick in crude prices has caused concerns around the trade deficit to resurface. US rates staying higher for longer is not helping the capital account," IFA Global Research Academy said in a note.
Moreover, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seems to have become conservative in spending reserves, it said, adding that these factors are causing the rupee to adjust.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.14 percent down at 112.10.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures fell 0.10 percent to USD 94.33 per barrel.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 111.83 points or 0.19 percent lower at 58,110.27, while the broader NSE Nifty fell 38.00 points or 0.22 percent to 17,293.80.
Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market on Thursday as they purchased shares worth Rs 279.01 crore, as per exchange data.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
