Current affairs remains the most critical aspect of your Civil services preparation. Current issues can be analyzed from the perspective of preliminary and the mains of IAS Exam.
It is important to note here that UPSC is taking more cautious efforts while linking the Static Subject to a current topic be it economics or polity or international or History and culture. So the aspirants must develop an understanding that what the term UPSCCURRENT AFFAIRS really mean from commission’s point of view. To have a better clarity aspirants need to have a thorough analysis of the PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS of CIVIL SERVICES EXAM.
By examining the question papers from the year 2014 to 2019 of the PRELIMINARY EXAM of CIVIL SERVICES, there were about 25-30 questions asked from topics that were of current relevance, but this trend changed in the year 2016. This year the proportion had gone up to a whopping 55-60 questions related to CURRENT AFFAIRS.
What could be the logic behind such a dramatic shift in the pattern of question papers? Broadly speaking, this shift in the pattern explains the intent of UPSC, which is in the quest to find the most exquisite minds to govern the country. However, for the pursuit to be fruitful, it would be appropriate from the part of UPSC to examine the candidate’s awareness about the society in which he is living. Static knowledge would prove inefficient for such an analysis. Society is dynamic and is subjected to changes. A Civil Servant should have the skills of a barrister and also that of a diplomat in order to cope with the changing society and also show the cognitive skills to coordinate, mobilize arguments and achieve consensus in regard to the execution of his duty. This analytical nature of the duty demands the aspirants to have an analytical mind and awareness of the society. This awareness can be imparted only through a broad reading which is beyond the textbook knowledge.