Aspirants can enhance their **critical reading skills** by employing strategies such as annotating texts, summarizing paragraphs, and questioning the material's intention. Regularly practicing with diverse materials, like newspapers and academic journals, improves comprehension and analytical abilities. Engaging in discussions about readings encourages deeper insights and the exploration of multiple viewpoints. Additionally, utilizing techniques like **SQ3R** (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) helps in retaining information and understanding complex arguments, essential for tackling the comprehensive nature of the **UPSC syllabus**.