Should Law Aspirants Read Newspapers Daily Even When There Is No “Big” News?

Almost every law aspirant preparing for CLAT, AILET, or other law entrance exams reaches a point where this question naturally arises: Is it really necessary to read newspapers every single day? Many students feel discouraged when days go by without any major legal judgement, constitutional development, or headline-worthy current affairs. It often feels unfair to invest time daily when only a few news items actually seem relevant for the exam.

This concern is genuine and practical. Law entrance exams do not test students on every news article published. However, the value of newspaper reading goes much beyond spotting “important news”. To understand why mentors continue to recommend this habit, it is important to look at how these exams are designed.

Why Not Every Day Has Exam-Relevant News (And Why That’s Okay)

It is true that not every newspaper edition contains news that will directly appear as a question in CLAT or similar exams. Many days are filled with routine political updates, administrative news, or opinion pieces that may never be tested.

This does not mean that reading the newspaper on such days is useless.

The mistake students often make is assuming that the sole purpose of newspaper reading is collecting facts. In reality, the larger purpose is skill development, not content accumulation.

The Real Reason Mentors Recommend Daily Newspaper Reading

Law entrance exams are largely passage-based. The paper tests how well a student can read, understand, and analyse information within limited time.

Newspaper reading helps develop the exact skills needed for this format:

• Reading comprehension: Regular exposure to long articles improves the ability to understand complex passages.
• Reading speed: Daily reading naturally increases speed without compromising accuracy.
• Understanding arguments: Editorials and opinion pieces help students follow structured reasoning.
• Comfort with formal language: The language used in newspapers is similar to exam passages.

Over time, students stop struggling with lengthy passages and start reading them with confidence.

How Newspaper Reading Directly Helps in CLAT-Style Exams

The benefits of newspaper reading reflect clearly during the exam:

• Passages feel familiar rather than overwhelming.
• Time spent on reading questions reduces significantly.
• Students are better at identifying central ideas and hidden assumptions.
• Accuracy improves because comprehension is stronger.

Many students lose marks not because they lack knowledge, but because they struggle to process dense passages under time pressure. Newspaper reading helps overcome this issue gradually.

Do Students Need to Read Every Article in Detail?

The answer is no.

Reading newspapers does not mean memorising every article or extracting facts from each page. A selective and sensible approach works better:

• Focus on editorials, explainers, and national importance articles.
• Skim less relevant sections without guilt.
• Treat newspaper reading as a skill-building exercise, not a memorisation task.

This approach prevents burnout and keeps the habit sustainable.

What If a Student Only Wants Exam-Relevant Current Affairs?

Some students prefer separating skill development from content preparation. For such students, curated current affairs resources are extremely useful.

CLAT Buddy publishes important legal and general current affairs that are relevant specifically for CLAT and other law entrance exams. This ensures that students stay updated with exam-oriented news without having to depend entirely on daily newspapers for factual coverage.

For focused updates, students can refer to:

• Link 1 – GK Current Affairs (Click Here)
• Link 2 – Legal Current Affairs (Click Here)

Summary

Not every day brings big news, and that is completely normal. Newspaper reading is not about finding questions for the exam every day; it is about building the reading speed, comprehension, and analytical ability required to crack passage-based law entrance exams. 

When combined with curated current affairs resources like those published by CLAT Buddy, newspaper reading becomes a powerful and balanced preparation tool rather than a burden.