How to read the newspaper for UPSC — without drowning

Read for the syllabus, not for news

The newspaper is a current-affairs source, but the exam rewards linkage to the static syllabus. Before you read, keep the GS syllabus open and tag each relevant article to a topic — polity, economy, environment, IR.

Limit yourself to 30 focused minutes. Editorials and the explained sections carry the most exam value; skip political point-scoring and routine crime reporting.

Make notes you will actually revise

One-line, topic-tagged notes beat verbatim copying. The goal is a revisable trail, not a second newspaper in your notebook.