Daily Current Affairs MCQ- December 2, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

FIFA is using its new semi-automated offside technology to help officials make accurate and faster offside calls in World Cup 2022.

• The new technology tracks the ball using 12 dedicated tracking cameras positioned below the stadium's roof and analyses up to 29 data points for each player, 50 times per second, to determine their precise location on the field.
• All limbs and extremities that are important for determining offside are included in the 29 data points.
• The inclusion of an inertial measuring unit (IMU) sensor into the match ball would add another crucial component in making close offside calls at the World Cup.
• The kick point may be identified with extreme precision thanks to this sensor, which is located in the centre of the ball and feeds ball data to the video operation room 500 times per second.
• The innovative system automatically alerts the video match officials inside the video operation room whenever the ball is received by an attacker who was in an offside position when the ball was played by a teammate by merging the limb- and ball-tracking data and applying artificial intelligence.
• The video match officials then personally verify the automatically generated kick point and the automatically generated offside line, which is based on the computed positions of the players' limbs, before advising the on-field referee of the proposed decision.
• Thanks to this technique, offside decisions will be made more quickly and precisely which will takes a few seconds to complete.

Hence both statements are correct.

The average effective playing time in the 2018 World Cup in Russia was between 52 and 58 minutes and FIFA wanted to increase it this World Cup. Double-digit stoppage times are the means to achieve that.

• Football uses a running clock unlike basketball or hockey, which does not stop even when the game is interrupted for various reasons such as substitutions, goals scored or injuries to players.
• According to the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game, the referees add time on for substitution, assessment and/or removal of injured players, wasting time, disciplinary sanctions, medical stoppages permitted by competition rules, delays relating to video assistant referee (VAR) checks and reviews, any other cause, including any significant delay to a restart, such as goal celebrations.
• The stoppage time is calculated by taking into account all such interruptions in play during a half and the fourth official raises an electronic board displaying the time added on at the end of each half.
• However, the play can go on for longer than the added-on time if the on-field referee feels that there have been further interruptions during the injury time warranting its extension.
• The law says that the referee must not compensate for a timekeeping error during the first half by changing the length of the second half.
• However, traditionally, second-half stoppage time has been found to be longer than that of the first half.

History:

• A game between English clubs Aston Villa and Stoke City in 1891 is widely believed to be the trigger for the introduction of injury time in football.

Extra Time:

• While terms like injury time and additional time have been used interchangeably for stoppage time, extra time is different.
• It is the period of time added to a knockout game to determine a winner if the scores are tied even after the regular 90 minutes and the stoppage time.
• Typically, the extra time is 30 minutes (two halves of 15 minutes).

Hence both statements are correct.

Agnikul Cosmos sets up India’s first private space vehicle launchpad at Sriharikota.

• The facility, which was designed by Agnikul and executed in support with ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) has two sections to it:
  • the Agnikul launchpad (ALP) and
  • the Agnikul mission control center (AMCC).
• All critical systems connecting these two sections, which are 4 km away from each other, are redundant to ensure 100% operationality during countdown.
• The launchpad is specifically built keeping in mind the necessity to support liquid stage controlled launches, while also addressing the need for ISRO’s range operations team to monitor key flight safety parameters during launches.
• Additionally, it has the ability to, as necessary, share data and other critical information with ISRO’s Mission Control Center.
• Agnikul’s first launch, which will be a controlled and guided mission, a vertical launch, using its patented engine will happen from this launchpad.
• The mission will be a technology demonstrator that will mirror Agnikul’s orbital launch but at a reduced scale.

Agnibaan:

• Agnibaan is Agnikul’s highly customizable, two-stage launch vehicle, capable of taking up to 100 kg payload to orbits around 700 km high (low Earth orbits) and enables plug-and-play configuration.

Agnilet:

• Agnilet is the world’s first single-piece 3-D printed engine fully designed and manufactured in India and was successfully test-fired in early 2021, making Agnikul the first company in the country to test its engines at ISRO.
• Agnibaan and Agnilet will be used in the Agnikul’s first launch.

Agnikul:

• It was founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM and Professor S.R. Chakravarthy from IIT Madras.
• Agnikul is an IIT Madras incubated startup.
• It became the first Indian company to sign an agreement with ISRO in December 2020.
• The agreement signed under the IN-SPACe initiative sanctioned Agnikul access to the Indian space agency’s expertise and facilities to build Agnibaan and its launchpads.

Hence both statements are correct.

KVIC Chairman recently inaugurated the ambitious Re-Hab Project in Nainital.

• It is an initiative under Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
• It is running this project in 7 states of the country, namely in Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa.
• Under this project fencing of bee boxes is installed in such areas from where elephants move towards the human settlements and farmers' agriculture.
• Fencing of Bee-boxes on the routes of movement of elephants blocks the path of wild elephants.
• In this way, through honey-bees, elephants can be prevented from attacking humans and destroying farmers' crops.

National Honey Mission:

• Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
• The Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

30 Shilp Guru Awards and 78 National Awards for the year 2017, 2018 and 2019 were presented to master craftspersons.

Shilp Guru Awards:

• The Shilp Guru Awards are given to legendary master craftspersons in recognition of excellent craftsmanship, product excellence and the role played by them as gurus in the continuance of crafts to other trainee artisans as a vital part of traditional heritage.
• The Awards were started in 2002, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the resurgence of Handicrafts in India.
• The Award consists of a gold coin, Rs.2.00 lakhs prize money, a Tamrapatra, a shawl and a certificate.

National Awards:

• The National Awards are being awarded since 1965 for outstanding craftsmanship in different craft categories.
• The main crafts for which the Awards have been given are Metal Engraving, Chikan Hand Embroidery, Khurja Blue Pottery, Mata Ni Pachedi Kalamkari, Bandhani, Tie & Dye ,Hand Block Bagh Print, Warli Art, Stone Dust Painting , Sozni Hand Embroidery, Terracotta, Tanjore Painting, Sholapith, Kantha Hand Embroidery, Palm leaf Engraving, Brass wire inlay on wood, Wood Tarkashi, Madhubani Painting, Gold Leaf Painting , straw craft etc.
• The Award consists of Rs.1.00 lakh prize money, a Tamrapatra, a Shawl and a certificate.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

In efforts to boost international air traffic, the civil aviation ministry has allowed Indian airlines to take wide-body planes on wet lease for up to one year.

• Wet leasing means renting the plane along with operating crew and engineers, while dry leasing refers to taking only the aircraft on rent.
• The technical term for wet leasing is ACMI which stands for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.
• These are the aspects of the operation that the wet lease airline takes care of, while the airline client will still be responsible for paying for direct operating costs such catering and fuel as well as fees such as airport fees, ground handling charges and navigation fees.
• Operations of an aircraft on wet lease is not encouraged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the crew is often not approved by Indian authorities.
• Also, wet leasing is generally a short-term arrangement, as it is more expensive than a dry lease.

Hence both statements are correct.

Indian Air Force is conducting the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise “Samanvay 2022” from 28th to 30th November 2022 at Air Force Station in Agra.

• The exercise aims to provide a unique platform for the exchange of domain knowledge, experience and best practices with the participating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.
• Various representatives of the ASEAN countries are participating in the exercise.
• The aim of the exercise includes assessing the efficacy of institutional Disaster Management structures and contingency measures.
• The exercise will promote a synergistic approach by involving various institutions like the Armed Forces, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Civil Administration.
• The exercise would aid in the evolution of institutional frameworks for effective communication, interoperability, cooperation and their application for the successful conduct of HADR.

Disaster Management in India:

• In India, NDMA is the apex statutory body for disaster management.
• It was formally constituted on 27th September 2006, in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, 2005 with Prime Minister as its Chairperson.
• Indian defence forces, under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), have been carrying out HADR operations within the country as well as outside the country.
• The defence forces can deliver during various HADR contingencies because of their expertise in damage assessment, evacuation, setting up of relief infrastructure, restoring communication and providing medical facilities, distributing ration supplies, clothing etc.

Hence both statements are correct.

Ministry of Power recently launched scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 4500 MW for five years under SHAKTI Policy.

• The scheme will help states that are facing power shortage and help generation plants to increase their capacities.
• PFC Consulting Limited has been designated as the nodal agency. It has invited bids for the supply of 4,500 MW electricity.
• The supply will commence from April 2023.
• The utilities that have shown interest for the scheme are Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Ltd, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd.
• It is for the first time that bidding is being carried out under B(v) of SHAKTI scheme.

SHAKTI Scheme:

• SHAKTI, or Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India, was launched in 2018.
• It aims to provide coal to stressed power units which lack coal supply.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

World’s first Intranasal Vaccine iNCOVACC has recently received approval for Covid booster doses from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

• It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited.
• It was developed in partnership with Washington University, St Louis, which had designed and developed the recombinant adenoviral vectored construct and evaluated in pre-clinical studies for efficacy.
• The approval is under Restricted Use in Emergency Situation for ages 18 and above in India, for heterologous booster doses.
• iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilised SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
• It is the world's first intranasal vaccine to receive both primary series and heterologous booster approval.
• The vaccine candidate was evaluated in Phases I, II and III clinical trials with successful results and has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops.
• It is stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius for easy storage and distribution.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Reserve Bank of India announced the launch of the first pilot for the retail digital Rupee on 1st December 2022.

• Eight banks have been identified for phase-wise participation in this pilot.
• The first phase will begin with four banks including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and IDFC First Bank in four cities across the country.
• Four more banks, including Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank will join this pilot subsequently.
• The pilot would initially cover four cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar and later extend to Ahmedabad, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and Shimla.
• The scope of the pilot may be expanded gradually to include more banks, users and locations as needed.
• The pilot would cover select locations in a closed user group - CUG comprising participating customers and merchants.
• The digital Rupee would be in the form of a digital token that represents legal tender.
• Users will be able to transact with digital Rupee through a digital wallet offered by the participating banks and stored on mobile phones.

Transactions:

• Transactions can be both Person to Person and Person Merchant. Payments to merchants can be made using QR codes displayed at merchant locations.
• The digital Rupee would offer features of physical cash like trust, safety and settlement finality.
• As in the case of cash, it will not earn any interest and can be converted to other forms of money, like deposits with banks.
• The pilot will test the robustness of the entire process of digital rupee creation, distribution and retail usage in real time.
• Different features and applications of the digital Rupee token and architecture will be tested in future pilots, based on the learnings from this pilot.

Hence both statements are not correct.