Consider the following statements : 1. The duration of the monsoon decreases from southern India to northern India. 2. The amount of annual rainfall in the northern plains of India decreases from east to west. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement 1 is correct because the monsoon arrives earlier and retreats later in southern India compared to the north. The southwest monsoon typically reaches the southern tip of India by early June and retreats only by December, whereas it reaches northern India by late June/July and begins retreating by September [2]. Consequently, the duration is significantly longer in the south. Statement 2 is also correct. As moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal branch move up the Ganges valley toward the northwest, they gradually lose their moisture content [3]. This creates a distinct rainfall gradient where the amount of annual precipitation decreases from the eastern parts of the northern plains (like West Bengal and Bihar) toward the western parts (like Punjab and Rajasthan).

Sources

1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > 4. Season of Retreating Monsoon > p. 25
2. [2] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Climate > Retreating/Post Monsoons (The Transition Season) > p. 32
3. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 17: Contemporary Issues > Extremes of Rainfall in Cloudburst > p. 29