Staying updated with newspapers is crucial for the UPSC Civil Services Exam due to its emphasis on current affairs. Effective note-taking from papers is essential for both Prelims and Mains. Popular choices among IAS aspirants include The Hindu and The Indian Express. These newspapers offer comprehensive coverage of dynamic syllabus topics, aiding candidates in staying up-to-date with relevant information for the exam. Efficient note-taking strategies from these sources are invaluable for exam preparation.

Before beginning to prepare for current affairs, being well-versed in the UPSC syllabus and the IAS exam pattern is essential. It will take a newbie with limited knowledge of the UPSC Syllabus and pattern a long time to read and become ready from the newspapers. Candidates can select pertinent items and issues from the newspaper and omit extraneous ones by carefully reviewing the syllabus and previous years' papers. In this manner, the candidate will spend less time reading the newspapers and will know exactly which things to read and which ones to ignore.
Taking Notes for UPSC from Newspapers
How to take relevant notes from a newspaper for UPSC is the question. Making notes is a skill that is developed over time. It is an art. Notes should be easy to read, efficient, and succinct. Different people may prepare their notes for the IAS test in different ways. The following are some tips for making good notes from newspapers for the UPSC.  The main emphasis should be on editorials, defense news, economics, environment, new legislations and schemes, international affairs, social concerns, court decisions, and so on. Here are some guidelines for creating useful notes for the UPSC from newspapers:

1. Write your notes in your own terms. Emphasize, highlight, and add information from reliable sources such as PIB, Yojana, and PRS.

2. It is required of an aspirant to jot down summaries of significant publications and concerns. Preserve the article's core ideas; jot down the theme, supporting details, arguments, advantages, ramifications, etc.

3. Disregard exclusively political news, news pertaining to celebrities, hyperlocal news, and the majority of sports news.
4. The notes you create for current events must be concise. "In UPSC preparation focus on quality than quantity.

5. To have a thorough knowledge, one must learn how to link dynamic and static information. A student must comprehend the significance of a govt decision or a policy to the curriculum by connecting it to geography, politics, or economics.
6. Develop the practice of writing down the problems and social concerns that our society is experiencing. The same might be cited by candidates in UPSC GS or essay papers to support their arguments. When noting this, make sure to include all the relevant details, advantages, disadvantages, and any recent occurrences.
7. several topics may be covered in the Prelims, Mains, and Interview GS papers. For instance, news on water disputes, conservation efforts, and river linkage. Keeping track of these trending topics can provide an aspirant with a thorough insight.
8. Editorials are very significant since they offer viewpoints and in-depth analyses on a range of topics. Opinions in editorials might be prejudiced. However, it is required of a UPSC candidate to provide arguments both in favor of and against the subject. This aids in developing a viewpoint, which must be impartial.
9. Whether taking notes digitally or on paper, they must be organized according to the UPSC syllabus for efficient review and optimum effect.
10. Finally, revise, revise, revise! The news piece in question may simply be a brief report on a complex continuing situation, so don't put off adding or appending comments.