How to Read a Newspaper for CLAT: A 30-Minute Daily Method
Written and reviewed by Shubham Jain, BA LL.B., LL.M. · UILS, Panjab University alumnus · founder with 15+ years of teaching · Jury Law Academy, founded in 2016.
Oct 24, 2026
What to read (in this order)
| Section | Why it matters for CLAT | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial and opinion | Mirrors CLAT's passage style — argument, tone, inference | 12 min |
| National news | Current Affairs passages are built from ongoing national stories | 8 min |
| Legal developments | Court decisions and bills feed both Current Affairs and Legal Reasoning | 6 min |
| One explained/background story | Gives the context CLAT questions assume you know | 4 min |
What to skip
Local city news, sports, entertainment, stock-market tables and most political statements. CLAT tests understanding of issues, not headlines — skipping aggressively is what keeps the habit at 30 minutes.
The revision log method
- Keep one notebook or document, dated daily.
- For each issue, write one or two lines: what happened, why it matters, and one name, number or article associated with it.
- Every Sunday, revise the week's entries and mark the ones you forgot.
- At month end, revise only the marked entries.
Turn reading into practice
Once a week, pick one editorial and answer three questions about it: What is the author's main argument? Which statement would the author agree with? What is the tone? This is exactly the skill CLAT Reading Comprehension tests, and it converts passive reading into scored practice.
If you fall behind
Do not read old papers to catch up. Restart from today and cover the missed period with a monthly current-affairs compilation. The daily habit matters more than a perfect archive.
Jury Law Academy students secured three All India Rank 1 results in PU 5 Year Law 2026 (Meghana, Gurwinder and Naitik Singla), AIR 2, 6 and 8 in PU LL.B. 2026, AIR 1 in PU Law Entrance 2025 and CLAT 2026 AIR 167. Since 2016 the academy has guided 5,000+ selections, including 500+ NLU admissions, with a 4.9★ rating from 804 Google reviews.
Get a personal plan
Jury Law Academy, SCO 112-113, 4th Floor, Sector 34A, Chandigarh runs classroom and live online batches for CLAT, PU Law, AILET and DU LL.B. Call +91 85284 69888 to book a free demo class. Read more on our CLAT coaching in Chandigarh and PU Law entrance coaching in Chandigarh pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which newspaper should I read for CLAT?
One good English national daily is enough. Consistency matters more than the brand — read the same paper daily so your notes stay comparable.
How much time should newspaper reading take for CLAT?
About 30 focused minutes daily is enough when you read selectively: editorials, national news, legal developments and one explained opinion piece.
Should I make notes from the newspaper for CLAT?
Yes, but keep them short — one or two lines per issue in a dated revision log. Long notes are rarely revised; a compact log is revised weekly.