Being the guardian of merit UPSC examines the candidates in three stages to select the best among the candidates. The three phases of the examination are prelims, mains, and the personality test (interview). All three stages of the IAS Exam are both static and dynamic in nature. Often, the questions are asked by linking the current affairs with the static part. To select the best among lakhs of aspirants, the UPSC tests the understanding capabilities and the ability of the aspirant to link up current events with facts and analyse the topic.
The candidates follow various strategies to cover the current affairs required for UPSC-CSE preparation. Candidates refer to multiple resources to cover current affairs like the current affairs app, monthly current affairs magazines, Yojana, Kurukshetra, India year book etc.
The market is flooded with plenty of newspapers, websites, monthly magazines, yearly magazines etc. Hence, aspirants may get confused about what to refer to. Hence, it is important to have a strategy and identify the useful study material for the IAS exam.
Some Important Study Materials to cover Current Affairs
Daily Current Affairs
It is very important to read the newspaper every day. Serious aspirants cover at least one newspaper every day. Additionally, candidates go through various daily current affairs materials provided by different institutes to make their own notes. It is advisable to stick to any one of the newspapers and one daily current affairs material(if time permits) instead of reading all the materials that are available in the market.
Glance through the newspaper and mark the news headlines that are relevant to the UPSC syllabus. Therefore the candidate is required to have a complete understanding of the syllabus.
Monthly Current Affairs
Monthly current affairs give an overall idea about important events of that particular month and it also helps us to relate to events of previous months. It is advisable to have 2 to 3 revisions of the Monthly current affairs material of any renowned institute to have an edge in this examination.
Pt 365
Pt- 365 is a comprehensive material covering all the important events of that year in a precise and concise manner. This material is mainly divided into different subjects like
- Art and culture
- Geography
- Polity
- International relations
- Important Govt. schemes
- Science and technology
- Environment
- Social issues
It is widely used for 11th hour preparation to revise all the topics of importance. Also, candidates who have skipped reading monthly current affairs would go for this material in the market to cover important current affairs that year.
Subject-wise MCQs on Current Affairs
Solving MCQs is an important part of UPSC-CSE preparation. It gives an idea about the nature of the questions asked in this examination. Many times questions are asked linking current events to the static part of the syllabus. The practice of solving MCQs on current affairs helps a candidate to remember important facts. This gives the aspirant an extra edge in the examination. It also enhances candidates’ guesswork capabilities.
Test Series on Current Affairs
Many institutes have started conducting monthly current affairs tests both in online and offline modes. Test series sets a target for the candidate and helps him/her to complete the current affairs portion in a timely manner.
Therefore, aspirants should develop the habit of reading newspapers, and make it a routine to dedicate an hour to study the newspaper thoroughly. The candidates can also make notes from government resources like Yojana Magazine, Kurukshetra Magazine, PIB, India Year Book, Economic Survey etc so that these points can be Incorporated in answer-writing. The content must be organised according to the subject so that it is convenient to look for them when in need.