The Calendar Girl

The New Year is round the corner and it couldn’t have brought better tidings for Arshkamal Saini. The 14-year-old student of St Kabir School,Chandigarh,has won the ‘Smart Transportation’ art calendar competition by 2,000 votes. Conducted in November by the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi,in association with Canadian company Bombardier,the contest received 300 entries from all over India. Children in the age-group 10-18 years were invited to submit their artwork on the theme of “Smart Transportation”.

An eminent jury shortlisted 36 finalists,whose works were uploaded on the High Commission’s “Canada in India” Facebook page for public voting. Over 12,000 votes were cast to select the final 13. While city-based Saini has bagged the cover prize,the other 12 winners are from Kolkata,Chennai,Delhi and Bangalore. Each of the winners has received cash prizes and a certificate of merit,besides the honour of having their designs featured in a special promotional calendar produced by the High Commission of Canada.

“Smart transportation is the need of the hour,and the issue is really close to my heart. While creating this artwork,I just kept the concept simple,” says Saini. The young artist used water colours to depict how car pooling,public transport and walking short distances could go a long way in preserving our environment and keeping pollution at bay. A Class VIII student,Saini is proud of her achievement. “This is the first time I got prize money,” she says. But she is giving it all to her mother. “Though I love art,I want to be a dentist,’’ she says coyly.