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Arata Isozaki, a prominent Japanese architect renowned for his versatility and transnational approach to design, has won his field's highest accolade, the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The 87-year-old will receive his coveted award, which consists of $100,000 and a bronze medallion, in May at the Palace of Versailles in France. The jury praised Isozaki for surpassing "the framework of architecture to raise questions that transcend eras and borders", and for his "profound knowledge of architectural history and theory, and embracing the avant-garde". It said in a statement: "He never merely replicated the status quo, but his search for meaningful architecture was reflected in his buildings that, to this day, defy stylistic categorisations." In a career that has spanned six decades so far, with more than 100 buildings around the world, Isozaki's approach has constantly evolved. More so than style or materials, his work is characterised by a search for what architecture can contribute to society. Isozaki's work began locally as Japan rebuilt following the devastation of World War II, and Allied occupation. He designed many buildings in his hometown, before expanding to Osaka and the capital, Tokyo. The 1980s saw Isozaki's international reputation grow with his first overseas commission, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and other prominent buildings, including the Palau Sant Jordi, which was part of the setting for Barcelona's 1992 Olympic Games. Pritzker Architecture Prize Founded in 1979 by the late Jay A Pritzker and his wife, Cindy, the Pritzker Architecture Prize honours a living architect or architects whose work combines talent, vision and commitment and who has produced "consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture". Previous winners of the coveted prize include India's Balkrishna Doshi, Jorn Utzon who designed the Sydney Opera House, Oscar Niemeyer of Brazil and the British- Iraqi designer, Zaha Hadid. SHANMUGAM IAS ACDEMY ,46/1 GOKHALE STREET, RAM NAGAR ,COIMBATORE-641037. Page 2 Odisha government has launched Mukhyamantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme 2019 for craftsmen on 5 March 2019. Under Mukhya Mantri Karigar Sahayata Yojana, govt. will provide Rs. 800 as monthly allowance to craftsmen with minimum prescribed experience. In order to avail the craftsmen welfare scheme benefits, the annual income of the beneficiaries must be less than Rs. 1 lakh. Under Mukhya Mantri Karigar Sahayata Yojana 2019, govt. will also provide Rs. 1000 monthly allowance for all craftsmen above 80 years of age. Directorate of Handicrafts is going to function as a nodal department of the scheme. The state govt. will constitute selection committee in the district level under collectors of the respective districts for the selection of beneficiaries. Odisha Mukhya Mantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme 2019 CM Naveen Patnaik has launched a new scheme namely Mukhya Mantri Karigar Sahayata Yojana in Odisha to benefit craftsmen. All the craftsmen having an experience of more than 10 years and annual income less than 1 lakh will get Rs. 800 p.m as allowance. In addition to this, craftsmen of more than 80 years of age will get Rs. 1000 as monthly allowance under the Mukhyamantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme. All the craftsmen who have worked for at-least 10 years are eligible for the Mukhyamantri Karigar Sahayata Yojana. The Directorate of handicrafts would be the nodal department for the successful implementation of Odisha Mukhyamantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme 2019. As per the official sources, a selection committee would be constituted by the state govt. at the district level. This committee would work under collectors of the respective districts for the selection of Mukhyamantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme beneficiaries. After the selection of all craftsmen beneficiaries under the Mukhya Mantri Karigar Sahayata Scheme, the state govt. will provide financial assistance through the block development officers (BDOs). The primary objective is to enhance the skills of the sculptors and to enable them to lead of honour and dignity. SHANMUGAM IAS ACDEMY ,46/1 GOKHALE STREET, RAM NAGAR ,COIMBATORE-641037. Page 3 Tamil Nadu govt. has started distributing Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit under Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme for pregnant women. The state is leading the country in health sector and the sophisticated medicare services, manpower and infrastructure makes the states a role model to be emulated. The state govt. has launched Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit in which kits worth Rs. 4,000 would be given to pregnant women. This scheme was launched at the Egmore Government Maternity Hospital and govt. has taken into account the need to enhance the facilities at govt. hospitals across the state. All those women who have delivered babies before 1 January are not eligible under the revised scheme. Tamil Nadu Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit Scheme The assistance under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme has already been raised to Rs. 18,000 this year. Under this scheme, an Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit worth Rs. 4,000 would also be provided. Around 12 nutritious items including dry fruits such as dates that are necessary for health pregnancy would be added in kit. These Amma Maternity Nutrition Kits would be distributed twice once at the 12th week and for the second time between 16th and 20th week of pregnancy. In the last 8 years, Tamil Nadu govt. has allocated Rs. 62,705.17 crore to the health department. The state govt. has allocated Rs. 12,563.83 crore for the health sector in the FY 2019-20. Around 17 lakh mothers had already been benefitted under the Amma Baby Kit which was launched by late CM J. Jayalalithaa (Amma) in September 2015. The Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit Scheme which was announced during FY 2018 – 19 aims to provide iron tonic and nutritional supplements to pregnant women. This kit is given under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme under which the pregnant women will receive cash assistance. Previously, the state govt. has raised assistance from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 18,000. Besides providing assistance of Rs. 14,000, each beneficiary would provide Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit worth Rs. 4,000. SHANMUGAM IAS ACDEMY ,46/1 GOKHALE STREET, RAM NAGAR ,COIMBATORE-641037. Page 4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Yojana at Vastral in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The national pension scheme for workers and labourers of unorganised sector was announced in the interim budget in February this year. It will provide monthly pension of 3000 rupees to the employees of unorganised sector after 60 years of age. Mr Modi also distributed the PM-SYM pension cards to select beneficiaries. World‟s Biggest Pension Scheme For Unorganized Sector During the interim budget announcement, a pension scheme for workers from the unorganized sector was mentioned by Union finance minister Piyush Goyal. Yesterday, PM Modi officially announced this mega scheme. This was a much-needed pension scheme for unorganized sector, as the present pension schemes run by private and public enterprises only focuses on salaried, blue-collar job holders or Govt. employees/entrepreneurs who file their taxes. There are more than 40 crore workers in the unorganized sector, and there has been no pension scheme for them, till now. This launch of the Prime Minister Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana (PM-SYM) has been done days before the General Elections, dates of which will be soon announced by the Election Commission. Who Are Eligible For This Pension Scheme? There are 150 professions, which are classified under the unorganized sector. Employees working these 150 unorganized sectors are eligible for this pension scheme. Rs 15000 per month is the income threshold for the eligible employees. This can include Street vendors, rickshaw pullers, construction, domestic help, agricultural, beedi, leather and handloom workers, rag pickers and more. While 42 crore workers from the unorganized sector are directly eligible for this pension scheme, 10 crore workers are expected to get enrolled in the next 10 years. SHANMUGAM IAS ACDEMY ,46/1 GOKHALE STREET, RAM NAGAR ,COIMBATORE-641037. Page 5 Last week, the Law Ministry made it mandatory for election candidates to reveal their income-tax returns of the last five years, as well as the details of their offshore assets. This was done by amending Form 26, after the Election Commission of India wrote to the Ministry on February 13. A candidate in an election is required to file an affidavit called Form 26 that furnishes information on her assets, liabilities, educational qualifications, criminal antecedents (convictions and all pending cases) and public dues, if any. The affidavit has to be filed along with the nomination papers and should be sworn before an Oath Commissioner or Magistrate of the First Class or before a Notary Public. Earlier, a candidate had to only declare the last I-T return (for self, spouse and dependents). Details of foreign assets were not sought. Offshore assets, as per the February 26 notification, means “details of all deposits or investments in foreign banks and any other body or institution abroad and details of all assets and liabilities in foreign countries”. It is now mandatory for candidates to reveal their own income-tax returns of the last five years rather than only one, and the details of offshore assets, as well as the same details for their spouse, members of the Hindu Undivided Family (if the candidate is a karta or coparcener), and dependents. The objective behind introducing Form 26 was that it would help voters make an informed decision. The affidavit would make them aware of the criminal activities of a candidate, which could help prevent people with questionable backgrounds from being elected to an Assembly or Parliament. With the recent amendment, voters will know the extent to which a serving MP‟s income grew during his five years in power.

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