Page 24 - Guide to Parliament House

GUIDE TO PARLIAMENT HOUSE
a Member addresses the House from a particular sector, while standing from his own
seat, the microphone of that sector is switched on and the loud-speakers of other
sectors are muted so as to avoid any possible undue reverberations of sound.

The new sound equipment was installed by Messrs. Sound Rentals Ltd., London,
through their Indian agents, Messrs. Union Radio and Appliances Ltd., New Delhi,
at a cost of Rs. 1,00,000.
Simultaneous Interpretation System : For the convenience of Members a Simul-
taneous Interpretation System was installed in the Chamber in 1964 at a cost of
Rs. i>6r,770 through M/s. Philips India Ltd. This system makes available to
Members the simultaneous translation of proceedings of the House from English
to Hindi and vice versa as provided by the Interpreters. The two languages are fed
into the headphones through different channels. The floor language is, as usual,
heard through loud-speakers fixed to the seats and also through the headphones.
Each seat is provided with a headphone and a selector switch which has provision for
(/) a language selector knob, (it) a volume control knob, and (iii) a socket for the
headphone. Members get the language of their choice, viz. floor language or
its translation, by turning the language selector knob. The volume control knob
enables the Members to adjust the volume of sound from their headphone according
to their requirements.

The Interpreters Booths—one meant for the use of English Interpreters and the
other for the Hindi Interpreters—are located just towards the left of the Official
Gallery and on the right of the Speaker. The equipment comprises four numbers
60 watt-Philips amplifiers. Type EV 6505, one each for Hindi and English
languages and one each standby for the two languages.

Automatic Vote Recording Equipment: Previously, the Members had to go to the
Inner Lobby to cast their votes at the time of Division. This system occupied a lot
of time and labour of the Members. In order to save the time of the House in re­
cording votes in the case of Division, an Automatic Vote Recording Equipment was
installed in 1957 at a cost of Rs. 5,85,395.87 through M/s. Telefonbau Und Normal-
zeit, Frankfurt Am Main, Mainzer Landestrasse, West Germany. The complicated
machinery of this System is located in a small cabin adjacent to the Sound Control
Room.
The Automatic Vote Recording Equipment is used for (t) an ordinary Division
wherein the names of voters for and against a measure are to be recorded; (w) Secret
voting wherein only the total number of votes for and against are to be recorded
without revealing the names of the Members and the nature of votes cast by them;
and (m) Quorum i.e., for automatic counting of the Members present in Chamber.

How the System is Operated : A push button set containing a pilot light and
three push buttons—a green button for 'AYES', a red button for 'NOES' and a
black button for 'ABSTAIN' together with a push switch suspended by a wire is
provided at the seat of each member. In the case of seats with desks, the push button
set is fixed on the top of the desk and the push switch suspended inside the
desk. In the case of the seats without desks, the push button set is fixed on the
railing of the front seat and the push switch suspended in the receptacle (pocket).

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