Consider the following statements regarding the International Date Line : 1. It is roughly 180° meridian, which deviates slightly East and West to avoid land areas surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. 2. The date to the East of this line is (24 hours) earlier than to the West. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect: Although the International Date Line (IDL) roughly follows the 180° meridian and deviates to avoid landmasses, it is situated in the Pacific Ocean, not the Atlantic Ocean. These zig-zags are designed to ensure that island groups and territories under the same political administration (such as Kiribati or the Aleutian Islands) share the same calendar day.

Statement 2 is correct: The IDL marks the boundary where the calendar date changes. When crossing the line from West to East (from Asia toward the Americas), you subtract 24 hours, effectively going back one day. Therefore, the date to the East of the line is 24 hours earlier than the date to the West. For example, if it is Monday on the Western side of the line, it is still Sunday on the Eastern side.