[Q] Current Affairs time boundary for IAS exam?

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Question from Nishant,

UPSC asks the current affairs for what period......for example....if
i'm writing my exam in may-2013,,,then from which month of 2012...i should start preparing my current affairs from newspapers & magz.....

UPSC doesn't have that 'strict-time boundary' for asking questions.
But for prelim MCQs and 2 markers/short questions in Mains= 1 to 1.5 year prior to the exam-date, is sufficient in terms of 'current-affairs' related fact and details, persons in news, scientific inventions etc.
However, two facts to be kept in mind:

Fact#1: Hot topics for this year, can be forwarded to next year

• 2009: Chandrayan happened before mains, was a hot topic but they didnot ask in 2009.
• Does it mean safe to 'skip' for 2010 because it is outdated ? Nope
• 2010: They asked about Chandrayaan in 2 markers.

Fact#2: Same topic can re-appear in consecutive years

• 2010 Mains Question:: Discuss Recent economic crisis in the so-called 'PIGS' countries of Europe.
• Ok does it mean now safe to skip/ignore detailed study of European debt crisis for next mains of 2011? Nope
• 2011 Mains Question: 6-pack solution of Eurozone debt crisis vs Stability and growth pact.

Caution: The General Awareness Ocean

Those Korean and Vietnaam wars, Cuban Missile crisis, 1991-LPG, end of Cold-war, Kargil, IT-boom, Indo-US Nuke deal, and truck load of other things that happened from 1950 onwards in India and abroad- all part of 'General Awareness' and nothing prevents UPSC from asking any of it overtly or covertly anywhere in the three stages: Prelims, Mains, Interview.

This doesn't mean you should go through entire wikipedia or do Ph.D on each topic but never shy away from reading some topic just because it didn't happen in last 1-2 years.

When a candidate start acting like a frog in the well, a mugger-topper in university exams:  restricting his reading to the conventional and selected few books and topics- he will end up digging his own grave.