How to Prepare Current Affairs for UPSC 2022?
You must have pondered the range of subjects by now if you are thinking of cracking the most coveted examination in India, the UPSC exam. Start off by knowing UPSC eligibility and the syllabus. The UPSC syllabus is a mammoth achievement to get through. Negative marking also raises the difficulty level a notch. So much so that some of you may have a big cloud of anxiety at the mere thought of preparing only the current issues.
We understand. All of us have been there. Trust us when we say that the key to passing this monster of an exam is not how well you know the material, but rather how much you’ve planned your study time. Cracking UPSC Prelims 2022 will not be an easy task. But what will definitely give you an edge is how well you put in smart work which is synonymous with current affairs.
How to Prepare for Current Affairs 2022?
The focus of your preparation should remain on current events until you have completed the interview stage. This element is so crucial that it ought to be covered in the UPSC eligibility requirements itself. Questions about recent events will be raised at each stage because they have a significant impact on the subject matter on their own. Consider the recently added new bill or a recently approved new policy. This is what makes current affairs 2022 extremely important to clear UPSC 2022.
Making connections between timeless topics and the most recent happenings aids in the development of your analytical comprehension of the idea. You’ll be able to develop your own viewpoint and articulate it clearly.
The UPSC is skilled at connecting current events to static elements and then crafting the query by posing the analytical element. This becomes challenging if you are ignorant of modern progress or if you are unable to comprehend it and relate to it.
Why? Because it deals with a broad range of topics that relate to core disciplines like geography, politics, economics, and history as well as dynamic areas like the environment, science, and technology. Consequently, it is challenging to group inquiries under a single category or topic. This is the reason why many candidates believe that recent years have seen a decline in the number of questions based on current events (from the Prelims perspective). But now you realise that this way of thinking is flawed! Therefore, the approach will be straightforward: Support all Core themes with recent current events.
1. Which newspapers to read?
The Hindu is typically used for UPSC Exam Preparation and is recommended by the majority of applicants or IAS Experts. For IAS 2022, it is also advised that applicants consult additional publications like The Indian Express, Live Mint, Economic Times, etc. Notably, applicants should make sure they read a newspaper that provides thorough coverage of news that is relevant to national, international, and administrative affairs, the economy, business issues, science and technology, biodiversity, disasters, etc.
2. How much time should one take to read the newspaper?
IAS aspirants should limit their newspaper reading time to no more than two hours because they must devote their valuable time to covering the static portion of the syllabus. They should also ensure that they read the newspaper from the perspective of the UPSC Exam.
3. What to read and what not to read from the Newspaper?
The importance of current events study for UPSC Exams should be understood by aspirants, who should also be aware that reading the newspaper to master this section of the UPSC Syllabus is very different from other types of reading.
4. How to read the Newspaper and make current affairs notes for IAS Exam?
UPSC aspirants should be familiar with the UPSC Syllabus, divide it into static and dynamic components, and assign weights to each in accordance with their importance. It is suggested that candidates maintain the UPSC syllabus nearby when reading the newspaper and make notes on the static portions of the curriculum so that they may seek the keyword from the syllabus in the news, underline it in their notes on the static portions, and correlate it.
- Instead of concentrating on a specific state or district’s news unless it serves as an exceptional example for the entire country, candidates should concentrate more on news at the national and worldwide levels. Additionally, candidates should limit their daily newspaper reading time to 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Important current events must be carefully noted by hopefuls so they can review them later.
5. At what point should a candidate stop reading the newspapers before the UPSC 2022 Exam?
The correct question is “How many months of current affairs are required for IAS Prelims 2022?” In general, we urge candidates to begin their preparation a year in advance. In a similar vein, we suggest keeping up with current events starting 18 months or at least 12 months before the UPSC Exam. Both the Preliminary and Main Exam phases have seen an increase in recent years in the number of questions pertaining to current events. Current events are important at the interview stage as well. The interviewer could ask the applicant about recent events in India and elsewhere in the world.
For instance, aspirants should begin reading the newspaper in January of the preceding year, or at the very least June of 2020, if they intend to take the June 2022 UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam.
Most applicants should read the newspaper every day until they pass the UPSC Civil Services Exam because current events are important in all three of the IAS Exam’s phases.