NEW DELHI: A teenager from the national capital has achieved a unique feat in the field of scientific studies and has set an example, that age is just a number. At the age 15, Seher Taneja has had her research work on pollution and its impact published in ‘Journal of Emerging Investigators’ a US-based science journal that publishes original research work by middle and high school students from across the world in the fields of biological and physical sciences.
A student of class 10 from Springdales School in Dhaula Kuan, Seher’s observational study is a cross-sectional one on the comparative analysis of vital capacities of athletes, singers and other students of age 13-14 years.“It all started back in 2017 when the Diwali vacation got extended owing to poor air quality condition in the city. Our exams also got delayed. Instead of focusing on how to reduce pollution, I decided to work on how to tackle the situation. This is a persistent problem, so it’s better to understand as to how we can battle the prevailing circumstances. My parents helped me a lot during this study,” Seher, who is from Janak Puri, said.
For the research, Seher conducted an observational cross-sectional study, which observed that lung capacities of athletes and singers were significantly higher than students who indulged in neither. Statistical data suggests that simple measures like encouraging sports and hobbies like singing can go a long way in improving a child’s health.“The whole mindset was to encourage children to improve their lung capacity. I was elated and very happy when the article was published; this is after all in an international platform recognised by Harvard. My school also encouraged and motivated me a lot,” she added.
Seher’s journey though was not all smooth sailing. “It was not an easy job. There were many hurdles. It is a difficult subject to study as well. Many changes had to be made, scientific approvals, disapprovals were also needed,” she noted. Unlike millennials her age, Seher does not indulge much in spending hours in front of the television set and has also evaded the habit of binge-watching web series online.
Rather, she invests her time in working on more research-based studies. “However, if Virat Kohli is batting, I don’t miss the opportunity to see him pile up runs. I am a die-hard fan of Kohli and admire his sportsmanship. Among other personalities, I look up to PM Narendra Modi as well,” she added.
Seher also said that she is working on a blog, which she plans on releasing soon. Despite being born into a household full of doctors, Seher said she feels no undue pressure on choosing a career. While Biology is one of her favourite subjects, she also equally enjoys Mathematics and Political Science.
Talking about pollution in the state, Seher said it is also the citizens’ responsibility to adopt measures towards preserving the environment.“We cannot escape from our duties by putting everything on the government’s shoulder. Children play a very important role; they can change the mindset of people. The need of the hour is to influence children more and be more passionate towards the world,” Seher said.
Numbers don’t lie
Statistical data suggests that simple measures like encouraging sports and hobbies like singing can go a long way in improving a child’s health.