Consider the following statements : I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers from each other, but when people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days. II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) I only ✓ UPSC's answer
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

Why the answer is (a)

• Anadyr (Chukotka, Russia) and Nome (Alaska, USA) lie on opposite sides of the Bering Strait and of the International Date Line, which runs between them.

• Statement I is correct: because the Date Line separates them, the calendar date differs — people in the two towns breakfasting at the same local hour are on different days.

• Statement II is wrong on direction: Anadyr (UTC+12) is on the western, 'earlier' side of the line and is a day ahead of Nome (UTC−9); so when it is Monday in Nome it is already Tuesday in Anadyr, not the other way round.

• Crossing the Date Line eastward you repeat a day; westward you skip one.

• Hence I only, option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) II only: Statement II reverses the direction: Anadyr is a day ahead of Nome.
(c) Both I and II: Statement II is wrong, so both cannot be correct.
(d) Neither I nor II: Statement I is correct: the Date Line separates the two towns.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.