Category Social Sciences

What are the two houses of our parliament?

            The parliament or the Central Legislature of India consists of the President and the two Houses: The Rajya Sabha (the Upper House) and The Lok Sabha (the Lower House).

            The President is an integral part of our parliamentary democracy, but it is still in many ways above the parliament. All bills passed by the parliament must have his assent before they become law. The parliament has to meet atleast twice a year and at an interval of not more than six months.

            The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is 545 (525 from the States and 20 from the Union Territories), and of the Rajya Sabha 250 (12 nominated). 

            The Lok Sabha, whose life is five years after every general election, is the lower house of the parliament and comprises members directly elected by the people. Every citizen of India who is 18 years of age or above has been given the right to vote. To qualify as a candidate for election to the Lok Sabha, one must be a citizen of India and should not be less than 25 years of age. He should also possess qualifications prescribed by the parliament. The Lok Sabha elects two of its members as Speaker and Deputy Speaker for a term in consistent with the life of the Lok Sabha. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. He does not vote but can use his vote in case of a tie. He presides over the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Speaker or the Deputy Speaker does not preside when a resolution for his removal is discussed in the House. The Lok Sabha can be dissolved before the stipulated or due time.

            The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the parliament, and is made up of representatives from the states or the constituent units of the Indian Union. It is a permanent body, one-third of its members retiring every two years. Thus every member enjoys a six – year term. The Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved since it is a permanent body. To qualify for election to the Rajya Sabha, the candidate should be a citizen of India, and not less than 30 years of age. He should possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed, under any law made by the parliament. The Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman is elected from amongst the members of the Rajya Sabha.

            The Lok Sabha is more powerful than the Rajya Sabha. No bill can become a law, until it has been passed by it. The Lok Sabha shares with the Rajya Sabha the power of amending the constitution. It can also initiate a charge of impeachment against the President. The elected members of this house form a part of the Electoral College for the election of the President. The Vice-President is also elected by members of this house jointly with the members of the Rajya Sabha.

            No bill can become a law unless it has been passed by the Rajya Sabha. It shares the power with the Lok Sabha to amend the constitution. It can also introduce any bill except a money bill. No money bill can originate in the Rajya Sabha. All money bills passed by the Lok Sabha are sent to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations. Such bills should be returned within 14 days, otherwise, they are deemed to have been passed. The members of the Rajya Sabha take part in the election of the President and the Vice-President. 

 

What makes Phan Thiet an amazing place?

Phan Thiet is a city on the coast in south eastern Vietnam. It is a place that is noted for its coastal attractions.

          What primarily pull tourists to Phan Thiet are its beaches. The most important ones are Ke Ga and Tien Thanh that are peaceful and quiet. Then, there is the attractive Rang beach in Ham Tien ward which was discovered by foreigners in 1995, when they came there to watch a solar eclipse.

          The fairy stream of the ward is also very popular, where a small stream has carved a canyon through the dunes, revealing colourful layers of sand. Together, the sandy beaches, its clean waters and the numerous resorts close to them attract tourists from all over, for swimming and relaxation.

          Traditionally, the main source of Phan Thiet’s income is fishing and related industries. The place is very famous for the manufacturing of fish sauce. With a few hundred residents, Hon Rom is the most important fishing village, in this region.

          The hill that divides Mui Ne and Hon Rom is also an interesting tourist location, noted for the orange sand dunes present there.

 

Why is Kyoto a very popular city?

          Kyoto is a city located in the west-central part of the Honshu Island in Japan noted for its history and culture. It is the capital of the Kyoto Prefecture of the Kansai region and forms a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area. The city was once the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years and hence, is also called the thousand-year capital.

          Not much about the early history of Kyoto is known. But archaeological evidences suggest that human settlements in the region began in the Paleolithic Era. By around the 6th century AD, the Shimogamo Shrine was established here.

          At present, Kyoto is an important city in Japan. It is also a major tourist place noted for its architecture, gardens, and palaces. There are around 2000 religious places in Kyoto including 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. While the Katsura Imperial Villa in the suburbs of the city is regarded as a fine architectural treasure, the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa stands out as the best garden in the country. The city is a major centre for the manufacturing of Kimono, the traditional Japanese garment.

 

Why is Santorini Island a famous tourist location?

           The Santorini Island or Thera is an island on the southern Aegean Sea that lies about 200 kilometres southeast of Greece. It is part of an archipelago of the same name, and covers a total land area of around 90 square kilometres. The municipality of Santorini consists of the inhabited islands of Santorini and Therasia, and the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana.

           It has been found that Santorini is geologically, the remaining eastern half of an exploded volcano. There is a central, rectangular lagoon that is surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides. The main part of the island slopes downward to the sea.

           Experts hold that the site of the island has witnessed one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. Known as the Minoan eruption or the Thera eruption, it took place some 3600 years ago at the height of the Minoan Civilization.

           History goes that the name of the island ‘Santorini’ had arisen in the 13th century, and is a reference to Saint Irene. 

What makes the Colosseum an interesting site to visit?

               Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheatre is a huge amphitheater that was built in Rome between 70 and 72 BC. It was constructed during the rule of Vespasian, a Roman emperor of the Flavian dynasty. The magnificent structure is located just east of the Palatine Hill. 

 

 

          The Colosseum, said to be the biggest amphitheatre in the entire Roman Empire, could house around sixty thousand spectators. Structurally, it was an oval or round building that had rising levels of seats arranged around a central open space. This space called the arena was meant for staging entertainment, gladiator fights etc.

          However, in medieval times the Colosseum was damaged by lightning and earthquake. It was also largely vandalized, as a result of which its marble seats and decorative materials disappeared. The building was subsequently used as a place to house animals and slaves. The Serious efforts to preserve the majestic construction were made only in the 19th century.

What makes Guilin one attractive city?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guilin or Kweilin is a city that lies in the northeast of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Situated on the west bank of the Li River, it is noted for its breathtaking beauty and tourist inflow. The place has a large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees in and around, due to which it gained the present name meaning ‘forest of sweet osmanthus’.

Historically, Guilin has been an important centre of trade and administration for long because of its location on an agriculturally rich valley floor. At first it was a handicraft centre.

Then, in the early 20th century, the economy of the city centred around a thermal power plant and textile mills. However, after this, the city saw an expansion with industries related to electronics, medicine etc. coming up.

Today, the economy of Guilin is largely dependent on tourism. It is blessed with fantastic mountains and hills like the Kitten Mountain, and the Elephant Trunk Hill that have since long been depicted in Chinese artworks.