• The atmosphere consists of different layers with varying density and temperatures. Density is highest near the surface of the earth and decreases with increasing altitude. The column of the atmosphere is divided into five different layers depending upon the temperature condition. They are: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.
• The troposphere is the lowermost layer of the atmosphere. Its average height is 13 km and extends roughly to a height of 8 km near the poles and about 18 km at the equator. So, statement 1 is not correct.
• The thickness of the troposphere is greatest at the equator because heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents. This layer contains dust particles and water vapour. All changes in climate and weather take place in this layer.
• The temperature in this layer decreases at the rate of 1°C for every 165 m of height. This is the most important layer for all biological activity.
• The zone separating the troposphere from the stratosphere is known as the tropopause. The air temperature at the tropopause is about minus 80°C over the equator and about minus 45 degrees C over the poles. The temperature here is nearly constant, and so, it is called the troposphere.
• The stratosphere is found above the tropopause and extends up to a height of 50 km. One important feature of the stratosphere is that it contains the ozone layer. This layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation and shields life on the earth from an intense, harmful form of energy. Therefore, statement 2 is not correct.

There is a different way of heating and cooling the atmosphere:

• The earth after being heated by insolation transmits the heat to the atmospheric layers near the earth in the long waveform.
• The air in contact with the land gets heated slowly and the upper layers in contact with the lower layers also get heated. This process is called conduction. Therefore, statement 2 is correct.
• Conduction takes place when two bodies of unequal temperature are in contact with one another, there is a flow of energy from the warmer to a cooler body. The transfer of heat continues until both the bodies attain the same temperature or the contact is broken.
• Conduction is important in heating the lower layers of the atmosphere. The air in contact with the earth rises vertically on heating in the form of currents and further transmits the heat of the atmosphere. This process of vertical heating of the atmosphere is known as convection.
• The convective transfer of energy is confined only to the troposphere. The transfer of heat through the horizontal movement of air is called advection. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• The horizontal movement of the air is relatively more important than the vertical. The air in contact with the land gets heated slowly and the upper layers in contact with the lower layers also get heated. This process is called conduction movement.
• In middle latitudes, most of the diurnal (day and night) variations in daily weather are caused by advection alone. In tropical regions particularly in northern India during the summer season, local winds called ‘loo’ is the outcome of the advection process. Therefore, statement 3 is not correct.

The atmosphere is composed of gases, water vapour and dust particles. The table is given below shows details of various gases in the air, particularly in the lower atmosphere.

The proportion of gases changes in the higher layers of the atmosphere in such a way that oxygen will be almost in negligible quantity at the height of 120 km. Similarly, carbon dioxide and water vapour are found only up to 90 km from the surface of the earth.

• The air is set in motion due to the differences in atmospheric pressure. The air in motion is called wind. The wind blows from high pressure to low pressure.
• The wind at the surface experiences friction. In addition, the rotation of the earth also affects wind movement.
• The force exerted by the rotation of the earth is known as the Coriolis force. Thus, the horizontal winds near the earth surface respond to the combined effect of three forces – the pressure gradient force, the frictional force and the Coriolis force. In addition, the gravitational force acts downward.  
• The differences in atmospheric pressure produce a force. The rate of change of pressure with respect to distance is the pressure gradient. The pressure gradient is strong where the isobars are close to each other and are weak where the isobars are apart.
• It affects the speed of the wind. It is greatest at the surface and its influence generally extends up to an elevation of 1-3 km. Over the sea surface, the friction is minimal.
• The rotation of the earth about its axis affects the direction of the wind. This force is called the Coriolis force after the French physicist who described it in 1844.

• The earth receives most of its energy in short wavelengths. The energy received by the earth is known as incoming solar radiation which in short is termed insolation.
• As the earth is a geoid resembling a sphere, the sun’s rays fall obliquely at the top of the atmosphere and the earth intercepts a very small portion of the sun’s energy. On average, the earth receives 1.94 calories per sq. cm per minute at the top of its atmosphere.
• The amount and the intensity of insolation vary during a day, in a season and in a year.

The factors that cause these variations in insolation are:

(i) The rotation of the earth on its axis.

(ii) The angle of inclination of the sun’s rays.

(iii) The length of the day.

(iv) The transparency of the atmosphere.

(v) The configuration of land in terms of its aspect.

In Olga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation 1985, the SC observed, "the sweep of the Right to Life, conferred by Article 21 is wide and far-reaching. 

• 'Life' means something more than mere animal existence. 
• It does not mean merely that life cannot be extinguished or taken away as, for example, by the imposition and execution of the death sentence, except according to the procedure established by law. 
• That is but one aspect of the Right to Life. 
• An equally important facet of that right is the right to livelihood because no person can live without the means of living, that is, the means of livelihood."

The insolation received at the surface varies from about 320 Watt/m² in the tropics to about 70 Watt/m² in the poles. Maximum insolation is received over the subtropical deserts, where the cloudiness is the least. 

The Equator receives comparatively less insolation than the tropics. Generally, at the same latitude, the insolation is moreover the continent than over the oceans. In winter, the middle and higher latitudes receive less radiation than in summer.

• Humanoid robot Sophia, which was created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, has sold a self-portrait of itself for $ 688,888.
• The artwork was sold via crypto art platform Nifty Gateway and is the first instance of NFT (non-fungible tokens) art created by artificial intelligence (AI) being sold. 
• The artwork is titled Sophia Instantiation.

To sustain the gains made under Swachh Bharat Mission, Rs 1,41,678 crores has been allocated over 5 years for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. The key interventions under the mission include :-

1. Complete faecal sludge management and waste-water treatment.

2. Source segregation of garbage.

3. Reduction in single-use plastic.

4. Managing waste from construction and demolition.

5. Bioremediation of all legacy dump sites.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana has two pillars:-

1. Health and Wellness centres for primary care

2. PM Jan Arogya Yojana for secondary and tertiary care. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

PM-JAY provides an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakhs for hospitalization-related expenses to poor and vulnerable families. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.