Current Affairs Quiz: 13 January 2022

Current Affairs Questions for UPSC: The Current Affairs Quiz section of Jagran Josh aims to help every competitive exam aspirant to revise Current Affairs of the day at ease. The Current Affairs questions and answers cover topics such as new ISRO chief, AP government staff age limit, first black woman to feature on US coin and world's most powerful passport among others. 

1. Who has been appointed as the new Chief of ISRO?

a) S Somanath

b) T. S. Tirumurti

c) V Muraleedharan 

d) Veerappa Moily

2. Andhra Pradesh government has increased the retirement age of government staff to how many years?

a) 61 years

b) 62 years

c) 64 years

d) 65 years

3. Who has become the first Black woman to feature on a US quarter?

a) Naomi Anderson

b) Theresa El-Amin

c) Lillie Mae Bradford

d) Maya Angelou

4. Which country has the world's most powerful passport?

a) Japan

b) US

c) UK

d) France

5. Which country has the weakest passport in the world?

a) Afghanistan

b) North Korea

c) Sudan

d) Iran 

6. Which city has launched a Covid-Free Village contest to curb Omicron spread?

a) Pune

b) Kochi

c) Bengaluru

d) Telangana 

7. Gangasagar Mela 2022 is currently underway in which among the following states?

a) Odisha

b) Bihar

c) Jharkhand 

d) West Bengal

Answers

1. (a) S Somanath

S Somanath has been appointed as the new Chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of S Somanath to the post of Secretary, Department of Space and ISRO Chairman on January 12, 2022 for a combined tenure of three years from the date of joining of the post.

2. (b) 62 years

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Government has decided to extend the retirement age for AP Govt Staff from the existing 60 years to 62 years, as per the latest government order. The government has also announced a salary hike as well for Andhra Pradesh Government Employees.

3. (d) Maya Angelou

Late American author Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman to feature on a US coin. A new version of the American quarter, a 25 cent piece, featuring her image went into circulation on January 10, 2022.

4. (a) Japan

Japan has the most powerful passport in the world along with Singapore as per Henley Passport Index 2022. A Japanese passport holder can visit 192 countries without the need of a visa. 

5. (a) Afghanistan

Afghanistan has the weakest passport in the world as per Henley Passport Index 2022. The holder of an Afghanistan passport can only visit 26 countries. Afghanistan is ranked at the 111 position, just below Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. 

6. (a) Pune

Pune has launched a Covid-Free Village contest to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19. The contest started on January 10 and will continue till March 15. The three best-performing villages in Pune division will be awarded cash prizes. The winner will get Rs 50 lakh.

7. (d) West Bengal 

The Gangasagar Mela was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 12, 2022 following strict COVID-19 protocols after receiving approval from the Calcutta High Court. The Gangasagar Mela is the biggest fair in Eastern India and it is held at Sagar Island in West Bengal.