current affairs 15 September 2022

Vedanta-Foxconn inks MoUs with Gujarat to set up semiconductor plant.

• Vedanta and Foxconn have signed an MoU with the Gujarat government to set up a semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state.
• Benefits: To create a huge ecosystem for ancillary industries and help our MSMEs
• Total Investment: Rs 1.54 lakh crore
• Display Fab Unit: This unit will set up with an investment of Rs 94,500 crore.
• The Integrated Semiconductor Fab Unit and OSAT (Outsourced semiconductor assembly and test) facility with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.

6th edition of Japan India Maritime Exercise begins in Bay of Bengal.

• The navies of India and Japan are carrying out the sixth edition of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX 22) hosted by the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal.
• Aim: To enhance operational understanding.
• The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has deployed Izumo (helicopter carrier) and Takanami (guided missile destroyer) for this exercise.
• The Indian Navy has represented by multi-purpose stealth frigate Sahyadri and anti-submarine warfare corvettes Kadmatt.

Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launches Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav.

• Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will launch a countrywide mega drive Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav for voluntary blood donation from 17th September to 1st October 2022.
• The special drive is a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The registrations for the Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav have been started on the E-Raktkosh portal and Aarogya Setu app.
• Nation will observe 1st October as the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day.

Govt sets up panel to address issues faced by venture capital, PE firms.

• The Finance Ministry has set up a six-member, high-level panel to look into issues being faced by venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) investors.
• The panel is headed by former SEBI chairman, M Damodaran.
• The committee will suggest steps for scaling up investment by VC and PE funds.
• Members: G Mahalingam (former member Sebi); D P Nagendra Kumar (former member CBIC); Ashish Verma (former Principal Commissioner Income Tax) Poonam Gupta, and P R Acharya.

President Biden appoints Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as Inaugural Director ARPA-H.

• The US President Joe Biden has appointed Dr Renee Wegrzyn as the inaugural director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for five years.
• Purpose of the ARPA-H: To seek innovative solutions to biomedical problems.
• She is a biologist and former government scientist.
• Dr. Renee Wegrzyn is currently serving as the vice president of business development at Ginkgo Bioworks and Head of Innovation at Concentric by Ginkgo.