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Why Current Affairs are Important for UPSC?

If I say that UPSC exam comprises of just two subjects, they were STATIC and DYNAMIC, it won’t be an understatement. Even though the UPSC website has provided an elaborate list of topics and syllabus, it actually is an extramarital affair between the static and dynamic.

You can’t live without it but you can’t even live with it. It is a pain you are bound to bear but cannot explain about because it is you who have chosen to live it.

Now the fact that Civil Services Exam has just two subjects as we discussed above, you cannot give a miss to current affairs. If the static portion helps you understand the Indian background and takes you to the roots of the Indian society, the current affairs help you survive the present.

If what Britishers did to India in 200 years is important to understand the present Indian society, the current affairs will help understand that how the current relations should be evolving keeping in mind the welfare of our citizens. So, I won’t be overstating if I say, STATIC is the driving force and DYNAMIC is the fuel that drives.

Too philosophical? Eh!

Well, to make it simpler, I have discussed a few points below to understand the importance of current affairs:

  1. UPSC is MAI-BAAP – In the year 2016, there was a sudden shift on current affairs in the preliminary exam and it even boosted the cutoff to 116 marks. In this scenario, it is not wise to skip the current affairs altogether because it can either get you in or out of the race. In fact, off late, even the mains exam is more focused towards current affairs. More like a jugalbandi between the static and dynamic.
  • Syllabus– The very syllabus of civil services exam is a pain in the head. It is wide and yet comprehensive. It is demanding and yet rewarding. It is specific and yet infinite. It covers everything under the sun from contemporary socio-political issues to the issues of the yester years. Therefore, when the UPSC itself has prescribed current affairs under its head of syllabi, nobody can dare ignore it.
  • Inter linkage of static and dynamic– The UPSC is infamous for asking logical and analytical questions and picking up a question straight from the remains of history wouldn’t justify its pattern. Therefore, the questions are often asked that may remind us of history or geography but the focus would be on the present.

Example: What role have volcanoes played in the formation of the earth’s atmosphere in the past? Highlight the impact of volcanic activity on climate change in contemporary times.

Now, if we break the question into parts, on one side it tests our static knowledge of volcanoes and on other hands it requires us to highlight its impact on current climatic conditions i.e. how and why or if at all it has contributed towards global warming or how the volcano eruption pattern has evolved over the years. Thus, strikes a chord between the static and the dynamic.

  • Logic and rationality– It is logically sound to read the current affairs considering the services he has applied for and the job profile that one will be holding. Once you become an IAS or IFS officer, you are bound to deal with current issues and work for the welfare of the people.

It becomes important for you to keep yourself abreast with the government initiatives, the involvement of government with various international organizations or even to understand the hierarchy and work devolution inside the bureaucratic system. If you fail on these aspects, how will you handle the pressure and do justice with your job?

  • Interview– The interview which is more often referred to like the personality test, judges you on the basis of your overall understanding of India and its people as a whole which comes from a thorough understanding of dynamic issues. Moreover, the opinion and analytical skills develop if and only if you read newspapers and follow the trend.

Common friends! If you can keep up with the “KIKI CHALLENGE” on social media, current affairs are the UPSC trend. Get going!

I hope this article pretty much clears the air around the current affairs and you should by now understand the significance of current affairs. If UPSC is BAAP of all exams, the current affair is MAA and fathers don’t betray mothers!!

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