Current affairs are an essential part of UPSC Civil Services. They provide insight into the events happening worldwide and help understand the dynamics of various sectors. The Hindu newspaper is a reliable source of current affairs, and preparing backwards and forward linkages from The Hindu can be beneficial in retaining information and increasing efficiency in exams.

Backward linkages refer to the connections between current affairs and past events, while forward links refer to the potential future impact of current events. Here are some tips on how to prepare backwards and forward linkages from The Hindu for current affairs:

The Civil Services Exam conducted by UPSC requires one to be thoroughly updated with Current Affairs. And that implies that you should be able to co-relate the current developments at various platforms with the previous ones in a proper perspective while you read The Hindu.

Thus whatever is in News currently should be logically and thoroughly co-related to whatever had made News in the past concerning the same issue. And the same process must be continued until the IAS Exam takes place, that is to say, till the Interview.

Keeping track of current affairs and what has already happened. What has occurred in the past and is expected to occur in the future requires a suitable shift in the timeframe from backwards to forward and vice versa as and when needed. The News, i.e., the current one, might strongly correlate with what had occurred in the past. Therefore, you need to co-relate the Current Affair with the background it had previously connected to. Here are a few tips for effective maintenance of the Backward/Forward Linkage:

Maintain separate files:

Maintaining individual files/folders/registers for the notes on various issues about the Current Affairs that you take down from The Hindu is advisable. You can keep the soft copy of your notes on your PC/laptop or write down the details on paper. Besides, it would be in your interest to divide the files into sections and sub-sections. It would help you maintain the notes for various topics more organized. If, for instance, you kept multiple sections for your notes on GSI Paper, you could maintain and update them more easily. You may carry one area each for History, Geography, Society & Culture.

Keep it simple:

Take notes in simple and lucid language. The notes prepared by you should be easily understood. Take down brief and precise notes. It should be noted once again that your notes should be understandable and intelligible. 

Develop a critical insight:

It should be remembered that most of the time, the News or the inter-related articles focus on the specific aspects of various issues and topics. So, take down the notes accordingly.

Next, when you find the same topic or the News in print again, you may take down the notes in the same vein. It will help you maintain a brilliant forward-to-backwards and vice versa Linkage for the concerned Current Affair.

It will also allow you to gain a sharp critical insight concerning what goes around in the world. Besides, your perspectives will be widened.

Gain a Crystal Clear Understanding

Furthermore, it can also help you gain an insight into how agriculture can become a more lucrative activity for farmers. It is simple for an IAS aspirant to understand how FPI can be employed to add to the value of the various agricultural products. Besides, various alternatives, e.g., contract farming, may be explored to simplify the complexities of the food processing supply chains.

Bottomline

It ought to be remembered that UPSC has never been looking for exceptionally great scholars. The government needs to conduct the Civil Services Exam to look for scholars to ask them to write big, bulky books.

The forward and backward Linkage of Current Affairs helps you understand the entire issue. And how can you achieve the same unless and until you link the current developments with the past ones and vice versa?

Well, you aim to join the Indian Administrative Services. And UPSC would like you to understand the Current Affairs clearly. Only then can you know the various issues society suffers and wherein lies the solution? When you get this basic understanding, can you form and implement the policies effectively and equitably?

Formulation and implementation of government policies are among the essential duties of an IAS officer. In light of this, the Backward/Forward Linkages from The Hindu are crucial for flawless preparation for the IAS Exam.

To beat the competition, the Hindu may be supplemented with Yojana magazines, government reports, etc. Once you understand the entire Current Affair, your Mains and the Interview answers will be flawless. As described above, the Forward and Backward Linkages from The Hindu for Current Affairs will help you achieve the same.