Amaaya Arora, 13
Daughter of entrepreneur Vijay Arora and fashion designer Shobhna Arora
There’s a twinkle in her eye every time Amaaya Arora holds a camera. “I have a small camera, so I borrow my dad’s DSLR. I just love photo-graphy,” she says. Not that photography is something that the 13-year-old wants to take up professionally. The daughter of fashion designer Shobhna Arora and entrepreneur Vijay Arora, Amaaya dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up.
Her extra classes after school on weekdays are very demanding, but she manages to find some time to pursue her hobbies. This Class IX student from Vasant Valley School can play the piano deftly and is also an ace at serving the ball at a tennis court. “Sania Mirza, with her determination, inspires me to work harder,” she says. So much work and no play, we ask. “I am allowed to attend parties sometimes,” she says with a playful grin.
While she has travelled to a lot of places in India, it is only Delhi that her heart beats for. Amaaya wants to see her hometown become a Smart City soon. “I know a Smart City can mean different things to different people. For me, it’s a place where a good quality of life is ensured for every citizen,” she says.
What does Smart City mean to you?
A Smart City is a well-developed city that has sustainable economic growth. It should excel in mobility, economy and governance. It also uses information and communication technology to improve the city.
What would you do to improve the city if you were the CM?
I would make the city cleaner and take action against those using plastic bags. I would ensure women’s safety so they can use public transport like men. I would launch schemes to reduce pollution. I would also provide good education and infrastructure in government schools and encourage people to educate the girl child.
Do you think Delhi is or can be a Smart City?
Delhi could be a Smart City as it has been listed as one of the 20 urban cities to be developed as one.
Things you like about the city.
The food, wide roads, the parks, kitsch markets, and cute little shops in the corners of the city.
Things you don’t like about Delhi.
Sitting through the traffic is timeconsuming and exasperating. Safety for women is not ensured even at crowded places. The government spends so much on public transport, but pollution remains. Public transport is not clean. Plus, people throw plastic bags, garbage and wrappers on the road.