MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q45: Catalin Novak became the first female President of which

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q45?

B. Correct — B, Hungary. Katalin Novák was elected by the Hungarian Parliament on 10 March 2022 (by a vote of 137 to 51) as Hungary's first female President, taking office on 10 May 2022. An economist who had served as Minister of Family and Youth since 2020, she became, at 44, also Hungary's youngest-ever head of state.

MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 45 of 100

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Catalin Novak became the first female President of which country?

(a)Austria
(b)Hungary
(c)Spain
(d)Norway

Answer

Why

Correct — B, Hungary. Katalin Novák was elected by the Hungarian Parliament on 10 March 2022 (by a vote of 137 to 51) as Hungary's first female President, taking office on 10 May 2022. An economist who had served as Minister of Family and Youth since 2020, she became, at 44, also Hungary's youngest-ever head of state.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Austria — Austria is a republic with an elected President (currently Alexander Van der Bellen), but it has never elected a woman to that office — not the country in question.
(c)Spain — Spain's head of state is the King under a constitutional monarchy — there is no elected 'President' post to hold.
(d)Norway — Norway is also a constitutional monarchy — its head of state is the King, not an elected President.

Concept

Hungary is a parliamentary republic where the largely ceremonial President is elected by Parliament, not directly by voters. Katalin Novák's election in March 2022 made her the country's first female head of state in this role.

MPPSC's international-affairs questions frequently target 'first woman President/PM of country X' — the trap is assuming every listed country even has an elected President; several European states (Spain, Norway) are monarchies where a King, not a President, is head of state.

Key facts

Katalin Novák — Hungary's first female President, elected by Parliament on 10 March 2022
Took office on 10 May 2022; previously Minister of Family and Youth (from 2020)
Born 6 September 1977 in Szeged, Hungary; an economist by training
Spain and Norway are constitutional monarchies (a King is head of state) — no President post exists in either

Katalin Novak, who became Hungary's first female President in 2022

Study next

'First woman President/PM' current-affairs facts by country (e.g., Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan, Chile's Michelle Bachelet)Difference between a republic's President and a monarchy's King/Queen as head of stateHungary's political system: a parliamentary republicEuropean heads of state and government elected around 2022Women heads of state and government worldwide

Common traps

Assuming every European country in the options has an elected President — several (Spain, Norway, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands) are monarchies
Mixing up 'first woman President' facts across different countries and years

MPPSC and other state PCS exams repeat this 'first woman President of country X, year Y' template often — memorise the country-name-year triple, not just the name.

Related PYQs

UPSC_2007_GS1_Q292007Open & attempt →

Who among the following is Chile's first woman President?

(a) D. Ortega
(b) M. Bachelet
(c) E. Morales
(d) A. Garcia

Answer(b) M. Bachelet

Same recurring 'country's first woman President' current-affairs pattern — Michelle Bachelet (Chile, 2006) is the earlier analogue of Katalin Novák (Hungary, 2022) tested here.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Who became Tanzania's first female President in March 2021, sworn in after the death of President John Magufuli?
- (a)Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- (b)Samia Suluhu Hassan
- (c)Sahle-Work Zewde
- (d)Katalin Novák
Answer(b) Samia Suluhu Hassan.
practice — not a real PYQ
Michelle Bachelet became the first woman President of which South American country, in 2006?
- (a)Argentina
- (b)Chile
- (c)Brazil
- (d)Peru
Answer(b) Chile.