There is a wide range of goings-on in society, and it is definitely impossible to know them all. But then again, current affairs is an integral part of the civil services exam, so it is definitely okay for you to wonder how on earth you are supposed to cover a wide range of present current happenings in the society, which, to be honest, is quite a lot.
You don’t have to roam around anymore, though, because, in this article, I will vividly explain the easiest ways through which you can cover current affairs for your civil services.
Why Current Affairs is Important?
It doesn't matter what you do or what you study; there is always a need for you to be aware, to know what is going on around you. When you have a good knowledge of current affairs, you can boldly speak and write about the most recent occurrences in your country in case of exams. This is the foremost reason why the government sees it as an efficient way to test your knowledge of your environment.
Moreover, you would agree with me that anyone willing to be a civil servant should have the basic knowledge of the latest happenings in their respective country.
Sources of Current Affairs
Newspapers
Monthly magazines
Social media
Television
Newspaper
The newspaper, just like its name, provides us with news, and not just any news, but the most recent news, containing the most recent happenings in various fields such as entertainment, sport, government, etc. And that is why it is one of the best sources for anyone looking to be informed about what is currently going on around them.
How to Choose a Newspaper that Suits you?– The Hindu and the Indian Express.
If you ask me, both newspapers are actually pretty good and can definitely help you answer current affairs questions in your civil services exam. But as the saying goes, to each of their own, and personally, I would go for The Hindu as that is the one that suits me.
Many aspirants feel that the language of The Hindu is a bit difficult. I believe that it helps you understand the kind of language proficiency is expected from a civil servant. On the other hand, Indian Express is easy and makes news easy to understand and digest; if you are looking for a less tedious experience, Express is the one to go.
The Hindu, however, is sometimes found to be biased, while Indian express is always unbiased. But at the end of the day, it is us who have to be vigilant about how we interpret the news.
It takes time to get habitual to a newspaper, and after a while, you can figure out the pages and sections where news is usually found.
How to Read The Hindu?
In order to adequately prepare for your civil services exam, keep the following in mind while reading “The Hindu.”
Be sure to read the editorials as they are important aspects of the newspaper.
Read the op-ed, also known as comments.
Read the News that deals with national importance in the sector of Polity, society, economics, security, etc.
Completely ignore news that deals with a particular city or state, news that contains the name of any politician (except PM) or political party. We can also ignore any news that is meant for one company and every sports news except very major ones.
Magazine
In magazines, you can find a load of essays, drawings, stories, and of course, current affairs, making it another source you can turn to garner knowledge of trending issues.
How to Choose a Magazine that Suits You?
Depending on what you are looking for, you can choose any of the current affairs consolidation magazines below:
Monthly preview by PRS: This is the best place to get information on the government and its activities, such as policies and the likes.
Drishtri Current Affairs: They are a monthly current affairs that provide consumer-friendly content for the consumption of both USPC aspirants and the general public.
BYJU Monthly Magazine: This magazine compiles trending issues in the country into a PDF, making it easy for you to get access to current news.
What Magazines are Available for Us?
How to Read Magazines?
Make sure to read the parts containing the editorials and also quizzes.
Like in the newspapers, there are also parts of the magazine which focus on the economy, science, and technology, national and international issues; make sure to read all these parts.
How to Highlight Important points in Magazine?
Underline issues you think are important and related to current affairs.
Make sure to note down whatever recent incident you might find so as to help your studying less cumbersome.
Friendly Conclusion
In the article, we’ve talked about current affairs and how you can cover it when preparing for your civil services exam. One useful nugget to keep in mind is that current affairs is an important part of the civil services and so, therefore, must be treated as such.
Wishing you success in your civil service exam!
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