How can one prepare for current affairs in two months?

The number of months of current events requisite for the IAS Exam is a common point of confusion amongst UPSC applicants.

How can one prepare for current affairs in two months?

The number of months of current events requisite for the IAS Exam is a common point of confusion amongst UPSC applicants.

From various sources, they receive various pieces of advice, such as those that are valid for 6 months, 1 year, 1.5 years, 2 years, etc.

Similarly, if the duration of preparing for current affairs gets limited to 2 months, it becomes next to impossible for a candidate to prepare for the same, as the time period is really very short. 

Nevertheless, there are some recommendations for all the aspiring candidates out there, who are willing to prepare for current affairs:

Rule 1: Be selective with your sources

Current affairs suffer greatly from the overabundance of reading material. The majority of pupils ought to think that acquiring the event's readings impulsively and reading them more will provide better results. Consequently, purchasing large book compilations usually results in their being dispersed over the space or being decorative on the desk. The hard approach of gathering excessive amounts of knowledge is useless, and this must be understood. Develop a quality-over-quantity mindset.

Here are some of the suggested sources for the preparation of the current affairs:

• The website's "IE Explained" section (for a comprehensive understanding of an issue)
• One compilation per month
• Spotlight/discussion on All India Radio
• Miscellaneous (India's World, PRS India, and RSTV's Big Picture)
• The web.
• An English daily newspaper: The Hindu 

Finally, while some of the applicants spend more time studying the "best website" and the "best coaching material" online for current events, they spend very less time actually reading it. Dozens of other people, who are overachievers by nature, are compelled to make extensive notes and compile reams of knowledge from the marketplace. This must be stopped. Allow yourself to spend a day conducting research, choose appropriate sources, and stick to them. All will go well for you.

Rule 2: Set time limitations

The majority of candidates overestimate newspapers, resulting in a problem rather than disdain for them. Sometimes individuals lack the opportunity to read any other material because they devote roughly approximately three to four hours a day to reading the newspaper.

Newspapers and current events are significant, but not to the point that you should devote greater attention to them. Some people have found that it's best to read through the day's current events in under two hours. It is extravagant to devote 3–4 hours to current events.

Some of the recommendations in order to read the newspapers include:

• Read the newspaper daily for around 30–45 minutes and that too, without creating any notes.
• Read the daily news aggregation online every day (you can use any institute material for this) and try to devote your 45 minutes daily to highlighting and capturing the material on Evernote.
• Weekends: Try to analyze the themes from the following week, selectively subscribing to All India Radio, and exploring certain topics online.
• Make the use of a monthly collection (choose whatever institution yo want for this) — at the end of the month.

Rule 3: Concentrate on the issues as opposed to the news

Issue and News; How are they different? An incident is reported in the media. Problems center on notions. For instance, an illustration is being used.

The ruling granted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kulbhushan Jadhav is the news. However, the most significant issue is the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, as well as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and its topics, in addition to India's involvement with international fora and other issues.

Therefore, to understand any present issue, here is the following framework:

• Motive – Why is it in the news? (This is often covered by newspapers)
• Background Information (Data, facts, authentic reports, etc.)
• Current Situation— What actions or inactions has the government taken thus far?
• The pros and cons of the situation, as well as the opportunities and difficulties.
• Advice, ideas, or a plan of action— What else should we do to address it?

However, the coaching materials frequently provide thorough coverage of the concerns. If not, search for quality content online and make notes so that you can properly understand each issue.

Rule 4: Master the art of taking notes online.

A comprehensive overview of the day's events is delivered by reading the newspaper, allowing it quicker to examine the daily compilation afterward. It tends to stick with you longer since you read it twice.

We can determine the importance of an issue and where our attention should be directed by how often it appears in newspapers.

Just by examining the newspaper one can find anecdotes and illustrations for essays, ethics, and interviews.

Reading English-language newspapers regularly helps your writing and vocabulary subconsciously.

Apart from these, get the Evernote Web Clipper plugin for Chrome as well. This application is quite beneficial for copying internet items, underlining them immediately, and organizing them elegantly in your Evernote.

Rule 5: "Read, Refine, Apply."

You will be able to learn 90–95 percent of current events in a way that is appropriate for this exam if you use the tactics outlined above. However, current events are a persistent subject that continues to come up every day. Constantly reviewing the material seems to be the greatest method to memorize it, as is integrating it into the answers you make for daily practice questions or test series. Your responses will be significantly improved even if you only briefly address the essential topic.

Moreover, it is critical to examine current events straight away after reading the relevant static portion of a report. For instance, revisit the pertinent current affairs section after you have completed the static section if you are prepared for a GS-2 mock examination. When you take the test, you can formulate a strong answer given that you'll be able to tie together the static and indeed the current automatically.

You might not be able to remember all of the current affairs in the exam room, even after reading and studying. It is not possible and that is a comprehended fact after all. The idea of flawless responses is a fantasy, much like perfect music. Writing the best response you can in the little amount of time you have to respond must be your goal. Having faith in yourself and possessing uncompromising self-confidence will surely help you to perform better than you anticipated.