Kharif crops, also known as monsoon crops, are sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon and harvested during the autumn season, typically between June and October in India. Cotton, groundnut, and rice are classified as Kharif crops because they require the warm, wet conditions of the monsoon for optimal growth and yield. In contrast, wheat is a Rabi crop, sown in the cooler months from October to December and harvested in the spring, thereby making options 1, 2, and 3 the correct choice for Kharif crops as per agricultural norms recognized in standard UPSC preparatory material.