How to Prepare for Current Affairs for UPSC 2020

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Education

Published on: 30 November 2019 Last Updated on: 09 December 2019
Union Public Services Commission

The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year and it is believed to be one of the most difficult exams in the country. Comprehensive preparation, consistency, determination and hard work are a few things needed to sail through all three levels of the UPSC Exam, which are as follows:

  1. UPSC Prelims
  2. UPSC Mains
  3. UPSC Interview/ Personality Test

The Union Public Services Commission conducts this exam in order to recruit various candidates for the Central and All India Services. While lakhs of aspirants in the country appear for the examination, only a few hundred serious and well-prepared candidates will make it to the final list. It is absolutely possible to crack this exam. What is needed is a proper strategy and rigorous preparation. What gives an aspirant an edge over many hardworking peers in the examination is how well he/she is updated with Current Affairs. Read on for the best sources to cover current affairs for UPSC 2020.

UPSC Current Affairs Preparation

Current Affairs has gained increasing importance in both the UPSC Preliminary Exam as well as the UPSC Mains Exam. Therefore, it must be an indispensable part of your everyday preparation.

Daily Newspaper Reading

  • It is very essential for an aspirant to choose a newspaper of choice and read it meticulously every single day without fail.
  • “The Hindu” Newspaper is considered as the Bible for UPSC preparation.
  • Making short notes from the newspaper will also prove to be beneficial at the time of revisions while helping you remember the concepts better.
  • Start reading the newspaper at least one year prior to the date of your Preliminary examination.

Current Affairs Magazines

  • During the mains examination, an aspirant is expected to present his/her views about a topic in a clear and concise manner within the given time frame.
  • The aspirant can gather fodder from the newspaper, but in order to understand various dimensions of a given topic, it is essential to follow one or two current affairs magazines.
  • A critical analysis of a topic would help the aspirant answer better at the time of the mains examination.
  • Some examples of Current Affairs magazine are:
    • Kurukshetra
    • Yojana
    • India Yearbook

Exploiting the Internet

  • There are various websites and UPSC online materials to help the UPSC aspirants in their preparation for the exams.
  • Specifically, with respect to current affairs preparations, there are various initiatives like daily quizzes, issues in the news, everyday news analysis, etc.
  • The aspirant must pick and choose one or two such initiatives to add value to his/her preparation for the civil services exam.

News Channels and Debate Shows

  • Studying continuously for a long duration might become monotonous.
  • In order to make learning less boring, one can watch various debate shows that involve veterans, experienced people, field experts, etc. such as Rajya Sabha TV.
  • Their opinions and suggestions can be used as strong points to support one’s answers in the mains examination.
  • At the same time, you can learn how to express your views during the UPSC personality test.

YouTube Videos for UPSC Content & Current Affairs

  • Certain concepts or issues in news require detailed study to be understood well.
  • There are many channels on YouTube that post current affairs videos which will help an aspirant understand and remember such concepts better.

There are plenty of options when it comes to current affairs sources for UPSC Exam. Like the saying, “Many cooks spoil the broth”, one should not refer to all the sources but stick to one reliable source.  Another important aspect to be considered is Revision. Thorough revision is a must, in order to remember the Current Affairs portions and its link with the UPSC Syllabus.

If the aspirant follows a good strategy with determination and consistency, it is possible to crack the UPSC Civil Service Exam in the first attempt.

For tips on covering current affairs for the UPSC examination, daily video analysis of “The Hindu” Newspaper, and other current affairs updates, subscribe to BYJU’S YouTube channel.

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