(d) Why in news? The government has announced a “special session” of Parliament from September 18 to 22, and this has raised questions about the legislative agenda for the session. ■ The term “special session” is not defined in the Constitution but is often used for sessions convened for specific occasions or commemorating milestones. ■ The term “special session” may refer to sessions convened for specific occasions or purposes, often with limitations on parliamentary procedures. ■ Presiding officers chair these sessions. ■ Article 352 of the Constitution mentions a “special sitting of the House” in the context of a Proclamation of Emergency. ■ The government, through the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, decides when Parliament meets, including session dates and durations. ■ The President is informed of the Committee’s decisions, and MPs are summoned for the session. ■ The Constitution (Article 85) mandates that there should not be more than a six-month gap between two parliamentary sessions. ■ India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. Traditionally, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year: · Budget Session (February-May) · Monsoon Session (July-August) · Winter Session (November-December)

(b) Statement 3 is not correct. Why in news? Recently Tibetan Democracy Day, celebrated on September 2nd, marks the establishment of the Tibetan democratic system in exile. ■ It commemorates the inauguration of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala over six decades ago. ■ The day is known as Mangsto Duchen and signifies the beginning of Tibetan democracy, governing over 1 lakh Tibetan refugees worldwide through the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). ■ The Tibetan democratic system evolved with the first elected representatives taking their oaths in Bodh Gaya in 1960, and the Tibetan constitution, based on democratic ideals and universal values, was enacted by the Dalai Lama in 1963. ■ In 1975, the CTA declared September 2nd as the founding day of Tibetan democracy. ■ The system comprises three pillars of democracy, including the executive head known as the Sikyong, who took over from the Dalai Lama in 2011. ■ Tibetans in exile recognize the CTA as their legitimate government. ■ India maintains a policy of not recognizing a separate government of Tibet in India but regards the Dalai Lama as a revered religious leader.

(c) Why in news? Recently, the third unit of the indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP3) in Gujarat, has started operations at full capacity. ■ This marks a significant achievement in India’s civilian nuclear program, as it is the country’s first 700 MWe unit and represents a scale-up in technology. ■ The reactor uses Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology and is seen as a milestone in India’s effort to expand its nuclear power capacity to 22,480 MWe by 2031. ■ The reactor design also incorporates enhanced safety features, including a Passive Decay Heat Removal System. ■ Passive heat removal in nuclear reactors is the concept that when a reactor encounters an emergency, such as loss of coolant flow, it will be able to shut itself down safely without intervention, human, electrical or mechanical. ■ Passive heat removal techniques can also be applied to light water reactors to prevent meltdowns and catastrophic failure.

(a) Statement 3 is not correct. Why in news? Recently Toyota Kirloskar Motor has launched the world’s first prototype of a BS 6 Stage II ‘Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle’ in India. ■ Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%. ■ FFVs are designed to run on a flexible combination of fuels, typically gasoline and ethanol. ■ These vehicles are equipped with engines that can adjust their fuel mixture based on the available fuel blend E.g., E20 (20% ethanol and 80% gasoline) or even higher percentages. ■ Other than an ethanol-compatible fuel system and a different powertrain calibration, FFVs are similar to their conventional gasoline-only counterparts. ■ While fuel economy is generally lower with increased levels of ethanol (engines are optimized for gasoline), many FFVs have improved acceleration performance when operating on higher ethanol blends.

(c) Why in news? Recently the International Solar Alliance (ISA) conducted its 5th regional meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. ISA also launched the SolarX Startup Challenge, promoting entrepreneurship and clean energy in Africa. ■ SolarX Startup Challenge aims to crowdsource implementable, cost-effective, scalable, and innovative solutions to some of the persistent challenges faced by the solar energy sector of the member countries. ■ The first edition is focused on the African region, aiming to promote innovation and discover local solutions, with the over-arching objective of capacity building. ■ The SolarX Startup Challenge will address a three-fold benefit for the African region: 1 . Promotion of the solar energy sector. 2 . Thinning of the gap of the energy crisis in Africa. 3 . Promotion of a strong startup ecosystem in Africa. ■ About Rwanda : Rwanda is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.