Nandani Arpana Baniwal, 7
Daughter of Special Commissioner of Police Sanjay Baniwal and academician Arpana Baniwal
Seven-year-old Nandani Arpana Baniwal sudies in Class III at Sanskriti School, and aspires to be a teacher when she grows up. Perhaps, she wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother Arpana Baniwal, who’s an associate professor in applied psychology at Vivekanand College.
Nandani is closest to her father Sanjay Baniwal, who is Special Commissioner of Police. He tries to spend as much time as he can with her but his work is quite demanding. When both her parents are away at work, she’s content playing with her six-year-old brother Devnandan, who studies in Class II at Sanskriti, and their grandmother Savitri Devi, who used to teach economics at a Delhi government school but has now retired. “We live together happily,” she says.
Both she and her brother Devnandan love swimming, skating and basketball. Nandani, in fact, is rather good at basketball and has participated in many inter-school tournaments. Apart from that, both kids like dancing and painting, especially landscapes.
Nandani spent the first four years of her life in the Andamans, and she remembers it as a “fun place that’s full of parks and rides for kids”.
The children’s mother Arpana did her schooling and graduation from Chandigarh, before doing her PhD from the Delhi University. Her schedule at Vivekanand College is quite demanding but she says she makes it a point to spend as much time as possible with the children.
Nandani loves nature and her dream is to go trekking in the mountains. Here’s hoping that the dream comes true very soon.
What does Smart City mean to you?
It should have parks, where we can play. No traffic jams so my father and mother can come home quickly.
Do you think Delhi is or can be a Smart City?
Yes. Delhi is a Smart City.
Things you like about Delhi.
I have my house here, I have my school here, all my friends live here, we have a forest near our home and I have my swimming pool here.
Things that you don’t like about the city.
There are too many people here. I don’t like the traffic jams. My school is very far from my home. I cannot play outside.
What would you do to improve the city as the CM?
I would set up many more parks and swings.