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UPSC Prelims 1979 · Agriculture · Soils
“Laterite soil” is found in India in
- (a) Western Ghats
- (b) Eastern Ghats
- (c) Deccan Plateau
- (d) Satpura region in Madhya Pradesh
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) Western Ghats
Laterite forms in the heavy-rain Western Ghats (Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra).
Why the others are wrong
(b) Parts of the Eastern Ghats have laterite, but the Western Ghats are the main area.
(c) The Deccan plateau mostly has black and red soils.
(d) The Satpura region has black and red soils.
The trap
Laterite also occurs in Odisha and Meghalaya — but the Western Ghats are the classic answer.
🔒 Laterite: Western Ghats, Odisha, Meghalaya, Chhotanagpur edges.