Current affairs play a significant role in UPSC Preparation. Students find it challenging to find the right strategy to prepare for current affairs. So, in this article, we will see How to Prepare Current Affairs for UPSC.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts a countrywide competitive examination in India, called the Civil Services Examination (CSE), for enlistment to higher Civil Services of the Government of India, which includes the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and India Foreign Service.
The UPSC examination is conducted in three stages-
- Preliminary Exam, i.e., Objective-based (facts)
- Main Exam, i.e., Written (interpretation and analysis, reviews and opinions, etc.)
- Interview, i.e., Verbal (personality test)
Current Affairs Preparation Tips for UPSC
The UPSC syllabus for prelims emphasises events occurring nationally and internationally in recent or ‘current’ state, and this part of the syllabus is called ‘current affairs’. The exam requires awareness of current happenings both on national and international levels. Candidates must keep themselves updated with all recent events in the news and keep reading, revising, and executing. One of the most important topics the examination includes in the syllabus is the schemes and policies implemented by the Government.
1. Limiting the Sources
The material for current affairs on both national and international grounds is a deluge. Therefore, the principal strategy for any candidate is to choose quality over quantity, meaning to limit their sources of current affairs. Too much material and sources to read are counter-productive.
Here are some of the best sources to prepare for current affairs in UPSC:
- Newspapers– The Hindu, Business Standard, The Indian Express, British Broadcasting Corporation
- Monthly Current Affairs Magazine– Pratiyogita Darpan, Economic and Political Weekly, World Focus here- end issue only
- All India Radio– Spotlight/discussion
- Internet
When we talk about the internet being a helpful source for current affairs, we face a dilemma deciding which site to refer from. The Thought Tree is the No. 1 skill development platform where the aspirant can succeed. T3 provides you with Individual Mentorship and Guidance, Scholarship for EWS, Guaranteed Internships, Multi-courses Multi-Domain One-Roof, Certifications, and Open Library.
The Thought Tree-
“Since IAS Coaching or other State PSCs Coaching have been a trend in India, nobody has ever thought of teaching future administrators the practicalities and the ground realities. Other IAS Coachings focus only on teaching and cramming the IAS aspirants with lots of theory; however, inculcating the practical knowledge would help the aspirants immensely in their Mains answer writing and Interviews, having seen them up close from ground Zero.”
2. Concentrate on the Issues, Not News
Issues discuss ideas, give birth to curiosity and questions. News talks about incidents.
Following a framework that benefits us to dig deep into non-rhetorical questions helps us understand the issue properly. This happens when the framework we decide to understand the issues raise questions, for instance:
- Reason— Why is it in the news? Why is it highlighted? (This is usually reported in the newspapers)
- Background Knowledge— (Data, facts, analysed and authentic reports)
- Current Status— Steps taken and not taken by the Government
- Both sides of the issue— Pros and Cons/ Contingencies and summons
- Reviews and opinions— What can we do about it?
Read More: RAS Exam Pattern
3. Note-Making
Making notes online or offline is an essential aspect, especially when the material to study is vast. Research says that writing while reading helps us remember the part with more clarity and lesser doubts in the knowledge we’ve gained.
Making notes online benefits us, as more time is invested in learning and not just writing them on pen and paper.
4. Learning and Unlearning
When we talk about current affairs, we talk about the whole issues around the world, which also means that it is a continuous subject that keeps updating and stacking up by solar days. Therefore, one of the best ways to prepare for current affairs is through constant revision and executing them in the answers you write during daily practice or test series.
Mentioning relevant issues in a sentence or two will add prodigious value to your answers. Just after reading the concentrated and uniform part of the news will avail more in the revision.
“A wealth of information leads to a poverty of attention” — Herbert Simon
5. Time Management
Newspapers and current affairs hold a lot of importance, but not so much that the time invested in them is redundant. Reading newspapers for more than 2 to 3 hours amplifies its significance.
An Ideal everyday preparation from a Rank-1 CSE:
- Newspaper reading (30-45 min, no note-making)— daily
- Reading daily news compilation, especially online — every day for a maximum of 45 minutes, highlighting the source of information.
- A quick catch-up of last week’s issues, spotlight and discussions in All India Radio, and internet research on scrupulous issues — weekends.
Read More: Best RAS Coaching In Jaipur
Conclusion
In conclusion, you, as an aspirant, should be tremendously self-confident and should trust your instincts. An unshakable self-belief leads to beating your expectations. Write the best answer you can think of in less amount of time. Practising mock tests and test series every week will indeed benefit you to perform much better. Give your best and watch your efforts worth investing in. I hope this article on ‘How to Prepare Current Affairs for UPSC’ will help you in your preparation. Best of luck!
rascoachinginjaipur.home.blog 