A newspaper is viewed as the major source of worldwide news. The significance of reading the newspaper for success in the UPSC Civil Services Exam cannot be overstated. Newspapers, in addition to the traditional NCERT textbooks and reference books, provide essential study material for current affairs, which is a critical component of the questions in the IAS exam. As a UPSC aspirant it is very important to read at least one newspaper everyday without fail.
Although many applicants read the newspaper every day and make notes, they find it difficult to revise these notes before the exam, and as a result, they skip a substantial section of the syllabus for revision, costing them an extra year in the journey of UPSC. In this article, we will learn how to revise newspaper notes in order to prepare for current affairs.
Note– Learn How to make notes from Newspapers for the UPSC Exam in the linked article.
Importance of the Newspaper in the UPSC Exam
As a UPSC aspirant you know that current affairs are an extremely important part of the syllabus for the Civil Services Exam. It is a significant aspect of all the three stages of the exam- Prelims, Mains and Interview. Usually candidates read one newspaper either The Hindu or Indian Express for their preparation, some read both. For the Interview round, usually candidates are advised to read 2-3 newspapers, The Hindu/ Indian Express, The Financial Express and one state newspaper for better awareness about the ongoing issues of the region one belongs to.
The weightage of current affairs questions in the UPSC Prelims round has increased significantly over the last five years. Because more than 40% of the paper is devoted to current affairs, reading newspapers is essential. Not just in the prelims, but also in the mains, the bulk of questions require you to analyse or provide your opinion on a recent news event. The Editorial and Op-Ed sections of newspapers help to develop opinions and analyse a topic from different perspectives, which helps to write a comprehensive answer in the Mains exam. Newspaper reading also prepares you to analyse, understand and tackle all kinds of questions asked in the final round, the Interview.
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Tips to Revise Newspaper Notes
It is important to read the newspaper but it is also equally important to revise the notes that you have made out of the newspaper reading. Please keep in mind you can not revise the notes of one whole year in 2-3 days. So you need to plan the revision such that you can cover the syllabus and also revise newspaper notes every day. Like the other subjects , even notes of newspapers should also be revised 2-3 times for better retention in the examination hall. Following are some tips to revise these newspaper notes better-
- You can revise the self made notes from the newspaper or you can rely on one of the current affair magazines from a good coaching institute. Don’t multiply your sources and stick to one newspaper magazine that you find good.
- Make a plan/ timetable for your study hours and devote at least one hour daily for the revision of the newspaper notes.
- Practice questions based on the revision of your notes or current affairs magazine for that particular month. The questions are available on many websites, you can follow any one. Solving questions helps you apply what you learn and also help you retain the information better.
- While revising the notes separately jot down the important facts like Indices, Reports, Biosphere reserve or any data that may be asked in prelims or can be used as an answer in the mains.
- In the final revision just go over these highlighted facts or the last minute revision notes.
We hope the above article helps you revise the content of the newspapers before the exam in a short time. For more such articles follow BYJU’S.
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