6. The Times of India News Portal

đź“Ś How to Use Times of India Portal for UPSC CSE

1. Focus on UPSC-Relevant Sections

âś… Useful sections:

  • India News / Nation → Government policies, Parliament news, bills, Supreme Court/High Court judgments.
  • City (Only selective) → When it relates to urban governance, smart cities, pollution, law & order reforms.
  • Business / Economy → Budget, RBI policy, inflation, jobs, agriculture, trade, GST, etc.
  • World News → India’s relations with neighbors, UN, WTO, BRICS, G20, global conflicts affecting India.
  • Environment → Climate change, pollution, conservation, biodiversity.
  • Science & Tech → ISRO launches, AI policy, cybersecurity, 5G, quantum computing.
  • Editorials & Opinions → Useful for Essay, GS-II (Governance), GS-III (Economy/Environment).

❌ Skip these sections (waste of time for UPSC):

  • Bollywood & Entertainment
  • Sports (except Olympics/Commonwealth/Asian Games policy-related issues)
  • Gossip, celebrity lifestyle
  • Local crime stories

2. How to Read Smartly

  • Daily reading time: 25–30 minutes max.
  • Pick only 6–8 UPSC relevant articles per day (don’t get lost in 30+ headlines).
  • Cross-check with PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express for depth (since TOI is often surface-level).
  • Make notes in GS Paper-wise format.

3. Approach for Each UPSC Stage

  • Prelims → Fact-based updates (GDP, schemes, institutions like NITI Aayog, UN bodies).
  • Mains → Use TOI’s simplified language + examples from current issues for GS-II, GS-III, Essay.
  • Interview → TOI helps because it covers trending issues in a simple manner, which is useful for your DAF-based questions.

4. Example

Suppose TOI publishes:
“Supreme Court upholds right to same-sex marriage not being legal yet”

  • GS-II (Polity) → Judiciary’s role, separation of powers, constitutional morality vs societal morality.
  • Essay → Gender equality, social justice.
  • Interview → “What is your view on same-sex marriage in India?”

5. Best Way to Integrate TOI in Prep

  • Use The Hindu / Indian Express as your main newspaper.
  • Use TOI Portal only for:
    • Quick daily updates (if you don’t have time).
    • Simple explanations of complex economic/tech news.
    • Supplementary examples for essays/answers.

⚡ Pro Tip: Treat TOI as a side source (like fast food 🍔) and The Hindu/Indian Express + PIB as your main diet (healthy thali 🍲).

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