Which Newspaper Should a CLAT Aspirant Read and How Should You Read It?
Newspaper reading is a very important part of CLAT preparation as CLAT is a passage based examination, and a major portion of the paper is built around passages which are from current events, legal developments, national affairs, international affairs and contemporary issues. In many cases, the source of the passage such as newspaper or magazine is also mentioned below it.
Therefore, reading a newspaper regularly helps not only with Current Affairs or your recent legal development but also with reading speed, comprehension, vocabulary and overall confidence while you are attempting the paper.
However, many students often remain confused about two basic questions that is -
1. Which newspaper should they prefer to read for CLAT? Is reading “The Hindu” compulsory for CLAT?
And more importantly -
2. How should they read it without becoming overwhelmed?
One of the most common pieces of advice given to CLAT aspirants for reading newspapers is that they must read “The Hindu” newspaper and this is not true because there is no rule that a CLAT aspirant must read only “The Hindu”. Students may choose any good English-language newspaper that they are comfortable to read consistently.
In fact, at Maansarovar Law Centre, we generally do not insist students to read “The Hindu” newspaper, especially for students who have never developed the habit of reading newspapers daily as the language and presentation of this newspaper may appear difficult to a beginner and many students lose interest only after few days of reading it and newspaper reading is useful only when the student actually reads it regularly otherwise it will not give any result.
Which Newspaper Do We Recommend for CLAT?
Our preferred newspaper recommendation for CLAT aspirants is “The Indian Express” because it is informative, well-structured and comparatively engaging and It substantial covers all topics related to -
● National developments
● International affairs
● Legal and constitutional issues
● Government policies
● Social and political developments
● Editorial analysis
The content of this newspaper is highly relevant for CLAT preparation, while its language is also suitable for developing reading comprehension and vocabulary. Though, students can also read newspapers such as -
● The Times of India
● Hindustan Times
● Any other reliable English language newspaper
The most important consideration is not the name of the newspaper. It is whether the student can read it regularly and understand what is being discussed.
Why Do Students Stop Reading the Newspaper?
Many students begin newspaper reading with great enthusiasm and they try to read each and every page of the newspapers, underline every fact, make cuttings, prepare detailed notes and research over almost every topic. Within a few days, the entire exercise becomes exhausting.
As the newspaper contains an enormous amount of information, trying to read and record everything is neither practical nor necessary for CLAT examination.
Students then begin to feel that newspaper reading takes too much time and eventually stop doing it altogether. The solution to this is to read selectively because not everything written in the newspaper is important for the CLAT examination.
Which Newspapers Sections Should You Read for CLAT?
For effective CLAT preparation, students should primarily focus on four sections of the newspaper -
1. Headlines
You should begin by reading the major headlines of the day in the newspaper. This will give you an overview of the most important developments and helps you identify issues that may remain relevant over the coming weeks or months.
2. National News
Read news which is concerning India especially matters related to -
● The Parliament and legislation
● Courts and its important judgments
● Government schemes and policies
● Constitutional issues
● Elections related news
● Social and economic developments
For CLAT examination you should not try to memorise every minor incident rather you should focus on developments that are of national importance.
3. International News
Read important international developments, primarily those involving -
● India’s relations with other countries
● International organisations
● Major global conflicts
● Major elections
● International agreements and summits
● Significant political, economic and environmental developments
International news is especially valuable because CLAT frequently tests current events through passage-based questions rather than direct factual questions alone.
4. Editorials
Reading editorials are highly useful for improving your comprehension and analytical ability and also helps students to understand different sides of an issue, the background of the events, arguments for and against a policy and the implications of current developments.
Editorial reading also trains students to follow long arguments, identify the author’s opinion and understand the tone of a passage, all of which are useful skills for clearing your CLAT examination.
How the Student Can Improve Vocabulary Through Newspaper Reading?
While reading these four sections, it is advised to the students to maintain a simple vocabulary register and whenever you find any unfamiliar word while reading you must find its meaning, write it down in your register, note its meaning in your language and try to understand its use in sentence making.
There is no need to write down every difficult looking word, you just write only those words that genuinely affect your understanding of the passage and with regular revision, this vocabulary register will gradually improve your word power.
How Does Newspaper Reading Improve Your CLAT Score?
Newspaper reading helps you in several sections of the CLAT examination at the same time as it improves your -
● Reading speed
● Vocabulary
● Comprehension
● Awareness of current affairs
● Ability to understand complex issues
● Accuracy in passage-based questions
● Comfort with lengthy reading material
A student who reads regularly becomes accustomed to processing information quickly. As vocabulary improves, less time is spent trying to understand individual words and this directly improves both speed and accuracy in the actual examination.
The Correct Way to Read a Newspaper for CLAT
Your newspaper-reading routine does not need to be complicated you just need to follow this method -
● Choose one reliable English newspaper.
● Read the headlines of the newspaper.
● Read important national news.
● Read important international news.
● Read selected editorials which are relevant.
● Write the meanings of unfamiliar but useful words.
● Avoid excessive cutting, copying and unnecessary research on every topic.
● Read consistently rather than trying to cover everything in one day.
Final Thoughts
For CLAT preparation the best newspaper is not necessarily the most difficult or mostly recommended one; rather it is the newspaper that you can read regularly, understand it comfortably and can build your knowledge and reading ability.
At Maansarovar Law Centre, we recommend students “The Indian Express” newspaper because it is informative, relevant and engaging for CLAT aspirants. However, students may choose any reliable English newspaper that helps them develop a consistent reading habit.
One thing that you should remember is that you do not need to read the entire newspaper, you just need to focus on headlines, national news, international news and editorials, maintain a vocabulary register, and most importantly remain consistent with your newspaper reading.
This method is sufficient to make newspaper reading both manageable and effective for your CLAT preparation.