Read Newspaper In 45 Mintus by Swarochish Somawanshi Sir IAS AIR 49

All the news items can be classified
under 3 broad Categories-A, B and C.
While you start with the news paper
try to classify the news items in the
above said categories. Time taken- 5
minutes.
Category A-
Pick some 4-5 stories which you are
going to read in detail, including the
Editorial page. Be choosy. Try to put
minimum items in this category. We
will call it Category A.
Broadly it includes-Analysis
(Editorials/ Op-Eds/ Essays)
Category B-
Pick some 4-5 stories which are
required to update you with current
happenings, but not requiring serious
perusal and analysis. Let me call it
Category B.
Broadly it includes- Events Coverage
(Breaking news, Mostly Front Page)
Category C-
It includes Miscellaneous News
( Political news, controversies,
Advertisement, Personal views, facts,
data and page 3 masala etc)
We must ignore the Category-C news.
Its simply not required to burden
your mind with loads of facts and
data. Try to avoid wasting time on
controversies.
Start with Category B-
Read first one or two paragraphs
carefully and try to understand the
issue.
Once you get it. Don’t read number
of supports/ evidences/
statements/ views of different
people, as its given in the
subsequent paragraphs, just to
elaborate.
You just have to acquaint yourself
with the issue. If the event is so
important, the follow up news will
be published in next day’s edition
also. So wait and watch.
Glance quickly the remaining news.
Read the last paragraph and you are
done with it.
Move on to the next news item of
Category B and so on…
Now you have a feel of the news
paper.
Time taken-10 minutes.
Then Category A-
You have to put maximum of your
concentration, energy and time in
this Category .
Read the article carefully and
underline wisely.
Try to relate it with the topic it has a
relevance with. Be it GS or
Optionals.
Make it sure that you have
understood it point-wise and will be
able to recall it.
Write down the points in one or two
words on the top, or where you find
the space in the paper itself.
Make it sure that YOU WILL BE
WRITING THIS IN YOUR MAIN EXAM
if such and such question would be
asked.
Now the “item” is yours and not of
the newspaper’s. Nobody can steal
it from you and you have added
some value today. Preserve the
paper cutting in a file.
Time taken-30 minutes.
Classification and Revision-
This is the most difficult part.
Nobody does it. I did it. But I admit
my inconsistency and irregularity
across my 3 attempts.
(Regular candidates can laugh at my
blatant arrogance!)
Try to classify the cuttings under
some heads viz.
International/ Bilateral
Economy
Polity/ Law and Justice
Environment
Health
Education
Essay
Optional, if any item is fit for them.
Finally,
Make your own classes and classify
them.
Try to revise your file at regular
intervals and use the points in your
answer writing sessions.
Its not a child’s play, needs lots of
discipline…
Let me confess it before “The
Judgement Day” that the method
was very useful to arouse and
sustain my interest in reading
newspaper, as I never ever liked it.
Its like a “Kadvi Davaa” and the
exercise is like Mothers’ Kiss, to
make it a bliss.
You have to swallow the medicine
anyway, whether you like it or not. I
experimented my way, now its turn
to experiment, improvise and revise.
Let us know your experiences.
Waiting for the feedback and
response.
Thanks for your encouragement and
support.
PS:
We will handle “The Experiments
with Revision” In great detail
separately.
What if it requires more than 45
minutes sometimes, Even ‘Maggi’
Requires more than 2 minutes ;)
lekin maza to aa hi jata hai naa! :)
NB- its an humble request to all
those handful of readers who have
reached till the last line to SHARE
THIS STATUS so as to benefit the
maximum as I have invested a lot of
time to conceptualize and type this
write-up.
-Swarochish Somvanshi,
AIR-575, CSE 2009,
AIR-49, CSE 2011.