Correct answer: (b) West to East
Explanation
- A
East to West
East-to-west would mean more winter rain toward Rajasthan than Punjab, which is the opposite of the western-disturbance gradient.
- B
West to East
Western disturbances enter from the west/north-west. Winter rain and snowfall in the north-western plains therefore decrease from west to east (Punjab–Haryana–western UP get more than eastern UP/Bihar). That is the official key.
- C
North to South
A simple north-to-south decrease is not the standard statement for the plains gradient of western-disturbance rain.
- D
South to North
South-to-north is the reverse of Himalayan orographic increase and is not the keyed plains pattern.
Summary. Official key is (b). Western-disturbance winter rain on the north-western plains decreases west to east.