SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 24 September 2025, Shift 2 · General Awareness · Question 6 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

In the context of Gupta dynasty's administration, which of the following officers is correctly paired with their respective role?

(a)Utkhetayita-Keeper of Royal Kitchen
(b)Dhruvadhikaranika- Chief Judicial Officer
(c)Pustapala-Notary and Keeper of Records
(d)Bhandagaradhikrita-Head of Village Watchmen

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Pustapala is the keeper of the pusta, the book of records. D.C. Sircar's Indian Epigraphical Glossary explains the title as a record-keeper, and it appears in the Gupta-age Damodarpur copper plates.

The option's 'Notary and Keeper of Records' names that record-keeping role → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Utkhetayita-Keeper of Royal Kitchen — Utkhetayita is explained as a tax-collector, the officer in charge of the levy called utkhetana. The royal kitchen was not his charge.
(b)
Dhruvadhikaranika- Chief Judicial Officer — Dhruvadhikaranika collected the king's fixed share of grain from farmers. It was a revenue post, not a judicial one.
(d)
Bhandagaradhikrita-Head of Village Watchmen — Bhandagaradhikrita was the officer of the treasury or store-house (bhandagara). Village watchmen were no part of that office.

Concept

Gupta officers are known to us by their titles in inscriptions, especially copper-plate land grants and sale deeds.

Many titles can be split into parts that name the job. Bhandagara (store-house) + adhikrita (officer) is the treasury officer. Pusta (book) + pala (keeper) is the record-keeper.

Not every title here is strictly Gupta. Sircar knows Dhruvadhikaranika from Maitraka records and Utkhetayita from Assam records, though the question groups them with Gupta officers.

Key facts

Pustapala: a record-keeper, a title found in the Gupta-age Damodarpur copper plates.
Bhandagaradhikrita: officer of the treasury or store-house.
Dhruvadhikaranika: collector of the king's fixed share of grain.
Utkhetayita: explained as a tax-collector.

Study next

Gupta land grants and the Damodarpur copper platesGupta taxes: bhaga, bhoga, vishti and hiranyaGupta territorial units: bhukti, vishaya and grama

Common traps

Matching titles to roles by guesswork. Split the compound first: pusta + pala is a keeper of records.
Reading adhikarana in Dhruvadhikaranika as a law court. The dhruva here is the king's fixed share of grain.

Gupta officers are tested as title-role pairs at 17 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.3 (keyed: Talavataka, village accountant) and 18 Sep 2025, 12:30, GA Q.3, where Pustapala is wrongly paired with tax collection. Gupta fiscal terms are matched the same way at 23 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.5.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: History — all 218 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.