Reading newspapers for UPSC means mainly preparing for Current Affairs. Current Affairs comes on the list of important subjects for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
A habit of reading newspapers keeps aspirants up-to-date with the latest developments and happenings all around the world.
UPSC aspirants have limited time to prepare for the examination. So, candidates need to read the newspapers in such a way that they cover all important news topics and leave unnecessary topics to save their time.
Daily, newspapers come up with a lot of information, details, and other things. You have to be very selective at the time of reading. You should only select and read those things that are useful and necessary for UPSC preparation. You should take a thorough look at the latest syllabus for current affairs.
Aspirants must only give a maximum of 60 minutes for reading newspapers, not more than that. 60 minutes every day for reading newspapers is enough for important topics.
You can join institutes like The Thought Tree for UPSC preparations. The Thought Tree is one of the best IAS coaching institutes that guide their students and prepare them for UPSC CSE, including current affairs subjects as well. Thus, making it easy for aspirants.
The two most recommended and best newspapers for UPSC preparations are The Hindu and The Indian Express.
The Main Sections In Well-Known Newspapers Like The Hindu Are:
- Introduction
- Front Page
- National News
- International News
- Opinion And Editorial
- Business And Economics
- Sports
- Science And Agriculture
How To Read The Newspaper For UPSC Preparation
Let’s start with Polity
(i) One of the most important is the Government Press Conference, where all the policies, schemes, and reforms are announced.
(ii) Candidates should note important parliamentary bills and acts.
(iii) Candidates should note elections and reform-related news.
(iv) The news related to the constitution, Supreme Court, High Court, amendments, etc.
(v) Candidates must keep note of parliamentary debates; they are also important.
(vi) Ministry-wise schemes and reports are also important.
National News:
(i) News relevant to national importance and security.
(ii) News, which is about innovations, scientific inventions, and scientific developments by ISRO in our country, is also important.
(iii) The news related to nationwide launched schemes by the government is equally important.
International News
(i) The visits of the Prime Minister and the President of the country are also important. And if agreements are signed between the countries, then that should be covered too.
(ii) Any political events happening in the country that may have any possibility of international consequence like uprising, military coup, etc.
(iii) One more important point is that International Organizations like WHO, UN, IMF, ASEAN, etc., and their reports or publications are also essential when it includes India’s role in decisions or reports.
Economy
(i) In the context of the economy, the government press releases related to RBI, SEBI, banking reforms, planning commission, agriculture, industry, and economic reforms are very important, so these should be in focus.
(ii) Any business-related news that will affect directly or indirectly the business, such as news of ASSOCHAM and NASSCOM.
(iii) Keep information about GDP, IIP, and CPI. The number is not that important as the reason behind the growth or fall is; keep note of this.
General Knowledge News
(i) The news related to Global Warming and Climate Change.
(ii) The news related to ecology and the environment is crucial.
(iii) The news about science and technology, like developments and inventions in the field of science.
(iv) The news about species is important; for example, some species are on the verge of becoming extinct, and others come on the list of endangered species. And news about any new species found.
What Should Candidates Must Ignore While Reading Newspaper
- The news related to press conferences held by political parties should be ignored.
- Fights and blame between national party members and other parties.
- About share market nitty-gritty.
- Entertainment news should be left out or ignored while reading the newspaper.
- The sports section can be ignored.
- Any state or city news that cannot have any national impact can be ignored.
- Sections like ‘Masala’ can be directly ignored or left out.
- Local and political news can be left out.
- Trivial facts about personalities, awards, etc., should be ignored.
Some Tips On What To Be Focused While Reading Newspaper For Preparation Of UPSC
- As mentioned above, get a thorough look and understanding of the syllabus so that you will get to know what is important to study and understand without wasting time on unnecessary things.
- Look at previous year’s UPSC question papers for questions related to current affairs. So that you can get a thorough idea about what kind of questions are asked in the context of current affairs.
- Give extra time for editorials. Editorials are a significant source for getting ideas and understanding for answer writing for UPSC Mains.
- Keep making your notes while reading the newspaper. And make short notes that are helpful for revision and easily understandable.
- Keep making notes under their respective categories like geography, national news, polity, international news, etc.
- Keep note of all the issues related to national and international importance.
- Keep noting down government orders and policies.
- News related to parliamentary debates.
- Keep track of news related to the Supreme Court and the High Court.
Conclusion
Reading newspapers is always a good habit. It gives us knowledge about happenings around us and makes us socially aware. And the foremost thing is that it will help to prepare well for UPSC prelims, mains, and interviews.
Give a maximum of only 60 minutes of your daily time for newspaper reading while preparing for UPSC, not more than that.
You can join The Thought Tree coaching institute for UPSC preparations. They have more than one course for candidates so they can choose the course they are comfortable with.
The teachers at The Thought Tree institute will guide you not only in current affairs but will guide you through every step of your learning and preparation journey for UPSC.
