How To Read The Newspaper For UPSC Exam?
Reading the newspaper is an unavoidable practice for UPSC preparations that cannot be overstated. It’s encouraging to learn that many serious candidates have heeded this counsel.
Newspapers are an excellent source of daily information for people from all walks of life. Candidates should read authentic newspapers on a daily basis.
It’s easier said than done to read your daily newspaper correctly. We understand that many of you are new to our activity and are not regular readers.
If you fall into this category and are having difficulty incorporating it into your IAS exam preparations, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. If you read newspapers, you will be able to answer well in the examination about various events in the country and around the world.
We will discuss the important components of how you may make the most of your daily 60 minutes of newspaper reading time to improve your daily current affairs for UPSC in this article.
Getting To Know The Newspaper
The newspaper is about 15-20 pages long, with specific pages dedicated to certain topics. When you are familiar with the contents of each page and section, you will be able to scan the key bits quickly.
As an IAS aspirant, you should read only the important areas with the greatest concentration and focus. You may easily grasp the necessary knowledge if you devote 60 minutes every day to scanning the newspaper and only the important areas.
Reading the Newspaper By Page
While reading “The Hindu Newspaper,” the following is a page-by-page strategy you can use:
Page 1 : This page summarizes all of the major news stories for the day. Scanning this page quickly will give you a general sense of what’s going on across the country.
Page 2-6: Regional news is on pages 2-3, while state news is on pages 4-6, which is not particularly essential for the IAS.
Page 7:This is the most essential page because it contains all of the national news. This page contains Supreme Court decisions, key statements from parliamentary debates, and other forms of government decrees and bills.
Page 8: This is “The Hindu’s” editorial page. This page serves as the paper’s backbone, containing all of the material required for an IAS aspirant. On the left, there will be two editorials, which will be followed by the lead piece. Pay great attention to the contents of this section.
Page 9: Also known as the OP-ED page, this is where a person who is not a member of the editorial board gives their thoughts on current events. This will provide you with an overview of current events.
Page 10-11: On these pages, you’ll find broad information regarding the present political situation. This isn’t really significant, but it’s worth skimming through to get a sense of what’s going on right now.
Page 12: This is the globe page, where you’ll find all of the latest international news, which is crucial for your IAS preparation.
Page 13-14: These pages include a wealth of information on fiscal and monetary policies, as well as economic news. Read the news that is socioeconomic in nature and connects to women, children, and health in depth for IAS.
Page 15: The final page is devoted to sports that aren’t as crucial in IAS preparation as others but Prelims Exam 2021 completely changed this mindset when UPSC asked 3 questions from this section.
What Can You Leave Out ?
To make your study easier and faster, you must detect news and portions that may be skipped. You can safely ignore the following categories of news:
- Every other day, politicians engage in long-running political feuds and make sensationalized pronouncements.
- Political parties’ press conferences
- Which political party is defeated in elections, and so on.
- A detailed explanation of the share market and the quarterly result of various companies.
- Unless it’s about a major prize or accolade, news regarding movies and entertainment.
- Localized political news and events that have no bearing on national policy.
- Information about the entertainment industry
- Statements that are divisive and have no bearing on national policy, decision-making, or international accords and conventions.
What Sections Should You Avoid Skipping?
There are passages that you must not skip under any circumstances, just as there are sections that can be skipped.
- Various programs, schemes, and changes were discussed at government press conferences, according to the news.
- Bills are passed or debated in parliament.
- A list of the ruling political party’s accomplishments, which is frequently published in the form of ads.
- The latest news on Supreme Court and High Court decisions in high-profile cases.
- Major occurrences that affected the entire country, such as a natural disaster, an accident, or a terrorist strike.
- ISRO news and any other scientific progress on a national and worldwide scale.
- SEBI, Planning Commission, RBI, banking plans and reforms, economics, agriculture, and industries have all had press conferences.
- The focus of news on statistics such as GDP, Inflation, and others is on the rationale rather than the actual amount.
- The reasons for the visits of major foreign Prime Ministers and Presidents. Also, the objective of the Indian Prime Minister’s international tours.
- Bilateral visits result in the signing and sanctioning of treaties and accords.
- Reports, publications, and news from international organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, ASEAN, and others, as well as India’s position in them.
- Updates on global warming and climate change
- Ecology and environment-related events.
- Updates on science and technology advancements in the domains of science.
- Important information about extinction-threatened or endangered species.
Read Also: Amendments To the IAS Cadre Rules
Others Useful Hints For Reading The Hindu Newspaper For The Civil Service Test Include
- Study the UPSC syllabus thoroughly so that you can tell what is connected to the syllabus and what is not when reading the newspaper. Those who have a good comprehension of the exam’s curriculum and the pattern will require less time to assimilate, but a newcomer (with a poor understanding of the syllabus and pattern) will take a long time to read and prepare.
- When it comes to reading the newspaper, keep in mind that your goal is more important than your interests. It’s easy to be lured to read about a favorite topic or person in the newspaper, but this comes at the expense of wasting valuable time on unimportant matters. Remember that you are reading the paper to prepare for the UPSC civil services test, not for fun or to take a vacation from your studies.
- Take notes while reading the newspaper. Your notes should be succinct and to the point. Remember that taking effective notes requires brevity. Fill up the blanks with your own words. Keep things simple and straightforward.
- Keep in mind that you are not conducting research for a Ph.D., but rather learning about a topic or subject in order to prepare for an exam. Keep the scope of the syllabus in mind.
- When reading Editorials/Op-Eds, make a list of the advantages and disadvantages, the positive and negative aspects of a subject. Consider the problem from a variety of angles. Typically, editorials/authors favor one point of view, but while reading and extracting information from them, make sure to include both points of view and take a balanced approach. At a later point in the Personality Test, this element is rigorously examined.
- You must sit at your study table while reading the newspaper so that you do not miss any important information and can take notes at the same time. Some students read newspapers while traveling or commuting in order to maximize their time efficiency, but this habit has the drawback of preventing them from taking notes. While traveling, you may undoubtedly read the notes scribbled in the newspaper.
- Avoid reading newspapers with the intention of finding articles/news that is relevant to the Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Keep things simple in your life… Simply go through the newspaper. Your memory and mind will be able to access information as needed.
- Extracting useful information from newspapers will take more time for a beginner, and you may find it tough. There will be days when you will spend more time reading the newspaper than normal, and days when you will be able to finish it much more quickly. However, you will gradually learn and, once you have mastered the fundamental concepts, you will begin to enjoy the habit of reading newspapers. This will also help you shift your mind about the exam and boost your confidence in your preparations.
