GK vs Current Affairs: Understanding the Distinction
CLAT's "Current Affairs & General Knowledge" section blends two types of knowledge. Current Affairs (dynamic GK) refers to events from the past 12 months. General Knowledge (static GK) refers to foundational facts about polity, geography, history, and economy. In CLAT's passage-based format, both are tested through current event passages — static GK provides the context to understand the passage.
Topic Priority List
Priority 1: Indian Polity (30% of GK questions)
Constitutional provisions, amendments, Supreme Court and High Court judgments, government bills and acts, Governor-related controversies, federal relations, election developments. This is the most tested area — period.
Priority 2: Economy (25% of GK questions)
Union Budget (key allocations and changes), RBI decisions (repo rate, CRR, monetary policy), GDP/inflation/unemployment data, trade agreements, SEBI regulations, banking developments. Read the Economy page of The Hindu every day.
Priority 3: International Relations (20% of GK questions)
India-China, India-Pakistan, India-US relations. BRICS, G20, SCO summits. UN General Assembly and Security Council developments. International courts (ICJ). Major geopolitical developments.
Priority 4: Environment (10%)
Climate change conferences (COP), India's NDC commitments, forest/wildlife judgments, pollution cases, renewable energy policy.
Priority 5: Science, Awards & Miscellaneous (15%)
ISRO missions, Nobel Prizes, national awards, sports (only Olympics and major events), books and authors (only Booker/Pulitzer), census and demographic data.
Daily Newspaper Routine
Time: 30 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon. Newspaper: The Hindu (preferred) or Indian Express. Sections to read: Front page, National, International, Economy, Editorial. Sections to skip: Sports (unless Olympics/legal issue), City pages, Entertainment.
Note-taking: After reading, write 5 one-line facts in a notebook. Example: "SC struck down electoral bonds — violates Article 19(1)(a) right to information." These notes become your revision material.
Monthly Revision Framework
Week 1–3: Daily reading + note-taking. Week 4: Revision week — review all notes from the month, take a CA quiz, identify gaps. Use the Ab Initio monthly current affairs module to cross-check coverage.
Quarterly: Take a full GK sectional mock (28–32 questions, timed). Score should improve by 3–4 marks per quarter. If it is not improving, your reading routine needs adjustment — you may be reading too broadly and not retaining enough.