Why Correct: Lateritic soils form in tropical regions with high rainfall and temperature, where silica leaches out leaving iron and aluminum oxides. The Northern Western Ghats region (specifically parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala) has the ideal conditions for laterite formation.
Distractor Analysis: Bihar's plain region has alluvial soils deposited by rivers. West Bengal's plateau region has red and lateritic soils in some parts, but the Northern Western Ghats is the classic textbook example. Tamil Nadu's coastal region has coastal alluvial and deltaic soils.
Takeaway: Lateritic soils are also found in Odisha, parts of Andhra Pradesh, and the hilly regions of Northeast India where high rainfall occurs.