Learn to dissect the current affairs for prelim, mains, interview
First lets take an example --
NEW DELHI: Myanmar's ruling junta plans to launch coordinated operations with India to flush out Northeast militants in its territories and has promised to help track down elusive ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah.
The assurance to New Delhi was given at a three-day home secretary-level talks between the two countries which concluded in Myanmar capital Nay Pay Taw on Thursday.
"Security forces of India and Myanmar will conduct coordinated operation in their respective territories in the next two-three months. The objective of the operation is that no militant can escape to the other side after facing heat in one side," a home ministry official said.
Major insurgent groups in the Northeast like NSCN and ULFA have over two dozen camps and training centres along both sides of 1,650 km long India-Myanmar border, which touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is also believed to have been hiding in the Kachin area of Myanmar.
"We have conveyed to the Myanmar delegation that we have information that Paresh Baruah is hiding in their territory and they assured us to track him down if found in their territory," the official said.
The security forces of both India and Myanmar will also intensify their vigil along the border to check smuggling of arms, narcotic drugs and other goods.
The Indian delegation, headed by union home secretary G K Pillai, had held extensive discussions with the Myanmar contingent led by Brigadier General Phone Swe on issues like border security, cross-border movement of militants, border trade and cross-border projects.
"The meeting was very positive as Myanmar has assured us to address all our security concern and promised us to carry forward the cordial relations between the two countries," the official said.
Just another boring kind of article, isn't it?
Well you need to train your eyes to spot the exam oriented content from this.
Lets see how the UPSC's examiner will ask questions from this!
Prelim : important facts
Nay Pay Taw is capital of Myanmaar.
India-Myanmar border is 1,650 km long.
This border touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
First lets take an example --
NEW DELHI: Myanmar's ruling junta plans to launch coordinated operations with India to flush out Northeast militants in its territories and has promised to help track down elusive ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah.
The assurance to New Delhi was given at a three-day home secretary-level talks between the two countries which concluded in Myanmar capital Nay Pay Taw on Thursday.
"Security forces of India and Myanmar will conduct coordinated operation in their respective territories in the next two-three months. The objective of the operation is that no militant can escape to the other side after facing heat in one side," a home ministry official said.
Major insurgent groups in the Northeast like NSCN and ULFA have over two dozen camps and training centres along both sides of 1,650 km long India-Myanmar border, which touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is also believed to have been hiding in the Kachin area of Myanmar.
"We have conveyed to the Myanmar delegation that we have information that Paresh Baruah is hiding in their territory and they assured us to track him down if found in their territory," the official said.
The security forces of both India and Myanmar will also intensify their vigil along the border to check smuggling of arms, narcotic drugs and other goods.
The Indian delegation, headed by union home secretary G K Pillai, had held extensive discussions with the Myanmar contingent led by Brigadier General Phone Swe on issues like border security, cross-border movement of militants, border trade and cross-border projects.
"The meeting was very positive as Myanmar has assured us to address all our security concern and promised us to carry forward the cordial relations between the two countries," the official said.
Just another boring kind of article, isn't it?
Well you need to train your eyes to spot the exam oriented content from this.
Lets see how the UPSC's examiner will ask questions from this!
Prelim : important facts
Nay Pay Taw is capital of Myanmaar.
India-Myanmar border is 1,650 km long.
This border touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
Note:3rd fact is especially important. They'll generally give you 4 statements and ask you to find the correct one.
a. Indo-Myanmar border touches only Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
b. Indo-Myanmar border touches only Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
c. Indo-Myanmar border touches only Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
d. Indo-Myanmar border touches only Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
Now what was not important in above news-item for the prelims exam.
1) Name of ULFA chief is Paresh Barua (they won't ask it in prelims because its like indirectly giving him publicity, same rule applies for naxals / maoists leaders.)
2) Brigadier General Phone Swe (this is absolutely not required to be remembered. besides if you waste your energy in remembering such tiny information you'll end up wasting your time and memory which could be used to remember something more important.)
3) Union home secretary G K Pillai, (as far as i remember they don't ask you names of Secretaries.)
Mains
What is Nay Pay Taw / Write about Indo-Myanmar border. (2 Marks / 20 words)
Indo-Myanmar relations (15-20-30 marks)
Essay - Insurgency in India (200 Marks)
Interview
Tell us something about recent trends in Indo-Myanmar relations?
What solutions do you suggest to fight insurgency in North East?
You won't get any 100% full content for any answer in mains /essay / interview from just one particular news-article. but slow and steady when you read newspapers everyday, you'll build up enough material and knowledge in your brain to answer a genuine, unique & good answer.
What to read in newspaper
Polity
Polity
New laws / bills coming in (like Women reservation bill and the current editorials, and everything related to it) Administration
- Administrative reforms, E-gov etc
- Government schemes (NPS, NREGA- and editorials related to it-good things, bad things)
- Education related- Deemed univ etc
International
- Internationally important issue
- ( Afghan-Pak Policy, Global Meltdown, G-20 ) etc
- OPEC,ASEAN,SAARC etc- if they're meeting then note down where they met and what points did they discuss?
- Indian Army Exercise with China/US etc (like in Mizoram for Jungle Warfare etc) – remember the name of the 'exercise'
- Name of Operations (Op.Sahayta for Nargis, Op. Black Tornado for 26/11 etc)
Sci-Tech
- (new space mission, vaccines, swine flu, climate, Computers)
- Hybrid Seeds, Solar Energy ,
Economy
- (big players and the companies owned by them, PSU's activity –its heads, Govt.'s policies, budget etc) - read the economy part very carefully cause in mains –you'll get 100M economy section in G.S.
People
- Awards (not IIFA/Filmfare though- but Noble etc, and what contribution those people did ?)
- Books (generally on Sunday issue, they'll put review of some new books – so note down the author)
- International election – (i.e. Ahmedinejad won Iran election – that's important but Mussavi was his main rival – that's also imp. Note down such imp people's name coming in news)
Sports
- tennis most imp, apart from that any Indian achievement in non-cricket sport
Geography
- Anything happening in above mentioned topics- you look @ your mapbook and see where that place is.
Why Read Editorials?
Because the regular news won't talk of what happened in History or what are the good / bad points of a particular topic. But the editorials will give you the 'big picture.Along with the suggestions for reforms so it also helps in writing mains + Essay. + interview too. Many of the articles/editorials will be completely criticizing anything and everything of Administration. So be careful about what to read and what to skip – because your answers have to be constructive criticism and positive "there is still hope for reform" and "Democracy is the best way to run country " etc. Cause if criticizing everything about Administration was going to make you an IAS officer then every reporter of Aaj Tak, NDTV and Zee News would be a District Collector. You've to be constructive, creative, visionary and positive in your answers, opinions and criticisms –only then you'll get more marks. I'm saying this here because when you are reading anything in newspaper- that's not just one shot to prelims but also helps you in mains, essay, interview as well.
Current Affairs is a year long continuous process.
This process doesn't take more than 1 hour per day. And its worth it, cause current affairs is not something that you can develop reading some book for 15 days before exam
On April (Of every year)- lot 'current affair special' books will come in market from Wizard, Chronicle, Pratiyogita Darpan and many more but if you've been following the newspaper through out the year & making your own diary- then you won't need to read them AND if you've not maintained a diary then you won't be able to remember much from these books – and will end up wasting 15 days reading it.)
Newspapers Help in Essay Writing.
In the mains you've to write a compulsory Essay paper which is worth 200 M and they're counted in the merit list.
There are many books / guides for essay writing in the market as well, but if you write from it, you'll end up writing a street quality, cheap, strerotype school essay and getting very few marks.
Your essay has to be unique, precise, showing your vast knowledge and understanding of the subject which can't be done reading 2 page essay in some cheap guide book.
Then you'll notice that they generally ask essay from following themes ONLY
Women empowerment
Social issues Environment
Rural vs Urban, Modern vs Traditional culture/values
Administrative / Law & Order / Judicial activity or reform
Sci-tech and its role in human/ rural Development
Philosophy (religion, truth, honesty etc)
Education
Social issues Environment
Rural vs Urban, Modern vs Traditional culture/values
Administrative / Law & Order / Judicial activity or reform
Sci-tech and its role in human/ rural Development
Philosophy (religion, truth, honesty etc)
Education
So whenever you see some editorial related to it in the newspaper – DO READ IT, And note down the important topics from it/ cut and file it.
That'll help you have sufficient knowledge, viewpoints and ideas to write a 200 Marks worth essay.
And its not a one day process- you follow it through out the year.
If you prepare your current affairs topics this way then you should have not much trouble clearing the UPSC civil service IAS IPS Exam.
Avoid this part in newspaper
Politics
· Politicians making remarks on each other – and the usual politics.
· XYZ party making coalition with ABC party
· State elections (who won / which party got how many seats etc)
Violence
· Attacks (Maoist/Terrorist/Insurgents) : (how to stop it / what new forces or equipments are purchased is imp but they attacked this place and destroyed 3 jeeps- not imp.)
· Accidents : train, bus, car, bike etc (BRTS, new traffic rules, Traffic cops getting simputer = imp)
· Crime (how cybercrime is done is imp but XYZ man stole 100,000 Rs from someone's credit card is not imp. Or biker gang looted 25 lakh from highways- not imp.)
Masala News
· Cricket (nothing is important, they never ask anything from this)
· bollywood (do I need to say anything? Although if someone wins Dadasaheb award- note it)
· surveys (like after doing tests on 50 people, scientists claimed that tomato keeps you young etc)
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