What is UPSC?
- The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India’s central agency authorized to conduct competitive examinations for various civil service vacancies in government of India.
Why is reading ‘The Hindu’ so important?
- The Hindu newspaper is known to act as a trademark for success in the UPSC Exams. The Hindu is known for its unique coverage of all crucial issues in all dimensions and in its entirety The Hindu’ distinguishes between news and opinion very well.
- It gives priority to areas of national concern, international and usually avoids trivial issues/masala items.
- The Hindu’s editorial page gives importance to varying opinions and hence provides news in a very holistic manner in relation to all perspectives like national, international science & technology etc.
Focus on
- Read the syllabus thoroughly as it will help you in picking the articles while leaving out the irrelevant ones. This is a major time saver.
- You must read all news that are of either national or international importance. You should focus on the political issues related to the Indian Constitution and the legislative and administrative processes.
- It is important to read socioeconomic news like women issues, educational issues, health issues, issues or policies affecting vulnerable sections of the society.
- Focus on high/supreme court verdicts because these are very important from the exam point of view.
Do not focus on
- Do not put your focus on political news or remarks. Also, It does not serve any purpose to read local political news.
- Avoid the death, awards and sports section These sections should avoided completely, you can just have a look at the headlines of the sports section.
- Do not try to learn the basic concepts But you have to be able to understand the articles better it is advisable to have some understanding of the concepts. It is a complete waste of time to try to learn the basic concepts from the newspaper. This will definitely kill your time and confidence.
The Editorial Section
- This is the most important section in the newspaper. While reading this section, you should have a pen/pencil in your hand and underline every specific information you feel will be helpful.It will take some time for a beginner to be able to extract relevant information from newspapers. you will learn gradually and once you have mastered the basic concepts, your outlook towards this exam and preparation will change upside down. That will be the time when you will start loving your preparation process. Try to enjoy the process and not treat it like something you have to do. This is very important so that you can extract maximum benafits out of this process.
Tips to read The Hindu for UPSC
- You don’t have to go in-depth in most cases. For example, you don’t have to remember every name and number that figures in articles related to a particular scam. You only have to understand the basic problem, the key figures and people involved, the policy/law related to it, and the implications of the same for the country and society.
- Make notes as and when you read the newspaper. Your notes should be crisp and relevant. And Make notes as and when you read the newspaper. Your notes should be crisp and relevant.
- Read only the exam-relevant articles and editorials. Try to classify what you read into categories like geography, polity, economics, environment, ecology, science and technology, etc. This will help you make notes and also ease your preparation.
- Be serious about your newspaper reading time. Sit at your study table while reading, so that you don’t miss out on any vital news. Avoid reading the newspaper while travelling. You can definitely read the notes made out of the newspaper while travelling if you lack time.
