5. The Economic Times Newspaper

đź“Ś Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use The Economic Times for UPSC

1. Focus Areas in ET

When reading ET, you should focus mainly on these sections:

  • Front Page: Major policy/economic reforms, government announcements.
  • Economy & Policy Section: RBI policies, fiscal policies, taxation, budgets, reforms, inflation, unemployment, etc.
  • Markets (Selective): RBI repo rate, bond yields, FDI/FII flows (ignore company-specific stock news).
  • Industry (Selective): Only when it relates to government schemes, infrastructure, renewable energy, Make in India, Digital India, etc.
  • Editorials/Opinions: Helps in answer writing for GS-III (Economy), GS-II (Governance/Policy), and Essay.

2. What to Pick vs. Skip

âś… Read/Note

  • RBI policy decisions (repo rate, CRR, inflation targets).
  • Union Budget & Economic Survey-related analysis.
  • GST, direct tax, corporate tax reforms.
  • Infrastructure, agriculture, and rural economy issues.
  • Climate change, renewable energy, green finance.
  • Banking sector issues: NPA, bad loans, mergers, digital banking.
  • Social/economic implications of AI, tech policy, data protection, cyber laws.
  • Government schemes with economic impact (Skill India, Startup India, etc.).
  • Global economy issues that affect India (US Fed rate, oil prices, WTO, IMF, World Bank, G20).

❌ Skip

  • Daily stock market movements.
  • Corporate earnings of individual companies.
  • Detailed private company mergers/acquisitions.
  • Lifestyle, entertainment, and celebrity business news.

3. How to Read Effectively

  • Daily Reading Time: 30–40 minutes (don’t over-invest).
  • Highlight Keywords: GDP growth, inflation, fiscal deficit, disinvestment, FDI, exports/imports.
  • Make Notes in GS-wise format:
    • GS-II → Policy, Governance, International Relations.
    • GS-III → Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Science & Tech.
    • Essay → Opinions/editorials on economy & society.

4. Link with UPSC Syllabus

  • Prelims → Inflation, Repo rate, FDI, WTO, Banking, Fiscal deficit.
  • Mains GS-III → Economy, Budget, Inclusive growth, Infrastructure.
  • Essay Paper → Topics like “Role of digital economy”, “Climate change & growth”.
  • Interview → Current policy debates (ex: “How will AI affect jobs in India?”).

5. Example

Suppose ET has a headline:
“RBI hikes repo rate to control inflation”

  • Prelims Angle → What is repo rate? Which body controls it?
  • Mains GS-III → How does monetary policy help control inflation?
  • Essay → Balancing growth vs inflation control.
  • Interview → “If inflation is high but growth is slowing, what should RBI do?”

✨ Pro Tip: Don’t make The Economic Times your only newspaper. For UPSC, your primary paper should be The Hindu or Indian Express (they cover polity, governance, social issues better). Use ET only as a supplement for economy-related content.

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