How to Remember so many dates / facts / names ..........??

India has 28 states - each state has a capital, a Chief Minister, a Governor, several rivers, dams, power plants, industries, art forms, historic places, power plants, minerals, flora, fauna .........and an infinite number of points to remember. It seems every thing is important for Civil Services. This leads to the focus of this article:

How to remember so many things?

Lets understand two important points first:

• It is very difficult to remember things in isolation. If you read list after list of facts, there is very little that you can retain.
• UPSC will not ask you facts but would test how you can apply those facts. You need to know more than just a fact to answer questions.

Now here is one way you can organize and retain more information than a list or a big write-up. I call it the web-of-knowledge. I recommend a three step process and explain it with an example.

Step 1. Go over the basics fast
Say, you just started studying history and you picked up the NCERT books. Go over them fast. Understand the most important things and do not waste time in cramming up the details. For example: Mughal empire - administration - art and architecture - key adversaries
Chola Empire -  art and architecture - key adversaries - note about their navy

Step 2. Link up the topics
You need to go over the same subject again. Pick a more detailed book and start laying out the subjects. Make connections between topics.
Administration in Mughal Empire - Vijaynagar - Mauryan - Vedic ................
Religion under Mauryas, Shungas, Mughals, Bahmani .................

Step 3. Mark the unusual highlights
Ashoka renouncing war, Chola navy, North and South Indian temple architecture, Tuglaq moving to Daulatabad, Akbar moving to Fatehpur Sikri

 Is it easy. Well, I must say 'no'. Its much easier to study one thing at a time and go over lists and lists. I believe nothing is easy when you talk about Civil Services. But, what I can say is that it will be effective.