Daily Current Affairs MCQ- December 14, 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 study reinforces uncontrolled BP as a significant contributor to mortality.
• It follows the Centre’s 2019-20 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) that reported a hypertension prevalence of 24% in men and 21% in women, an increase from 19% and 17% over the 2015-16 survey.
• Patients with readings of systolic <140 mmHg and diastolic <90 mmHg are defined as those with hypertension under control.
• Hypertension control rate is defined as the proportion of patients with BP under control (systolic <140 mmHg and diastolic <90 mmHg).
• The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia study is based on a diversified analysis of studies of BP control rates between 2001 and 2022 in India.
• Despite government efforts, awareness and better access to healthcare facilities, the number of patients able to control hypertension has only grown from 6% to 23% in the past 21 years.
• The Lancet researchers included 51 studies involving 3. 4 lakh patients.
• Of these, 21 studies (41%) reported poorer BP control rates among males than females, and six (12%) poorer rates among rural patients.
• The combined control rate in India in 2001-20 was 18%, with significant increase over the years, reaching 23% in 2016-20.
• The study indicated significantly better control rates in the south and west, and considerably poorer rates among males.

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.

Jeypore Ground Gecko (Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis), has been recently included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

• The proposal to include the gecko in Appendix II was made by India at the recently-concluded 19th Conference of Parties (COP19) to CITES in Panama City. The proposal was adopted by the members of the Working Group.

CITES Appendix II:

• The animals listed under Appendix II may not necessarily be threatened with extinction, but trade in such species should be controlled to ensure it does not threaten their existence.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

• In 2019, the Jeypore Ground Gecko was assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species and was listed as ‘endangered’.

Distribution:

• This reptile is endemic to India.
• The wild reptile species is found in the Eastern Ghats and is known to be present in four locations including southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
• Its occurrence is estimated in less than 5,000 square kilometres of fragmented geographical area.
• The species resides below rock boulders in high forested hills at an altitude of 1,100-1,400 metres.
• Habitat loss and degradation, forest fires, tourism, quarrying and mining activity among the reasons for the species’ decline.

Hence only statement 2 is 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.

The seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit will be held from November 29, 2022 till the 1st of December in New Delhi in a hybrid format.

• The Summit is India’s annual flagship event on Geotechnology and is co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India.
• The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Geopolitics of Technology’.
• During the summit, the world’s leading minds in technology, government, security, space, startups, data, law, public health, climate change, academics, economy will gather and debate the vital questions related to technology and its future.
• They will discuss the advantages and challenges of technologies, sustainability, emerging geopolitics in the technology sector, and data for development and ideas for India's G20 Presidency.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Indian scientists recently received international award on behalf of snow leopard conservation alliance.

• Indian snow leopard experts received the Madrid-based BBVA Foundation’s Worldwide Biodiversity Conservation Award on behalf of a 12-nation intergovernmental alliance -The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).

What is The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP)?

• The GSLEP is a first-of-its-kind intergovernmental alliance for the conservation of the snow leopard and its unique ecosystem.
• It is led by the environment ministers of 12 countries in Asia that form the home range of the snow leopard. These are Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The total range spans two million square kilometres.
• The GSLEP Program’s secretariat is based in Bishkek, and is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic.
• GSLEP was created in 2013 when officials, politicians and conservationists arrived at a common conservation strategy enshrined in the Bishkek Declaration (2013) to cooperate in the conservation of this species and its habitat.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Meteorologists were mesmerized by Typhoon Hinnamnor as it provided a textbook example of a phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect.

• The Fujiwhara Effect is any interaction between tropical storms formed around the same time in the same ocean region with their centres or eyes at a distance of less than 1,400 km, with intensity that could vary between a depression (wind speed under 63 km per hour) and a super typhoon (wind speed over 209 km per hour).
• The interaction could lead to changes in the track and intensity of either or both storms systems. In rare cases, the two systems could merge, especially when they are of similar size and intensity, to form a bigger storm.
• There are five different ways in which Fujiwhara Effect can take place.
  • The first is elastic interaction in which only the direction of motion of the storms changes and is the most common case. These are also the cases that are difficult to assess and need closer examination.
  • The second is partial straining out in which a part of the smaller storm is lost to the atmosphere.
  • The third is complete straining out in which the smaller storm is completely lost to the atmosphere. The straining out does not happen for storms of equal strengths.
  • The fourth type is partial merger in which the smaller storm merges into the bigger one.
  • Fifth is complete merger which takes places between two storms of similar strength.
• Fujiwhara effect was identified by Sakuhei Fujiwhara, a Japanese meteorologist whose first paper recognising the Fujiwhara cases was published in 1921.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.