From student to champion in 17 seconds
(Courtesy of Nandni Kishore)
The 14-year-old Pakistani student explains how she broke the world record time for reciting the periodic table.
When Nandni Kishore entered the Thar Science Festival, she had one goal in mind: to recite the periodic table faster than any person in recorded history. The previous record was 31 seconds — Nandni did it in 17.
To break the record, Nandni competed against two other students before a panel of judges with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The pressure was high, but Nandni says she made it through with the help of her support system. “I was not nervous at all,” the 14-year-old shares. “The goal was to make everyone proud of me. I felt happy when everyone was praising and appreciating the efforts I put in achieving.” She is especially grateful to her teacher, Sahir Hemnani, whose idea it was for Nandni to challenge the record in the first place. “He helped me to train for it and made me understand basic concepts required for achieving this milestone,” she says. Sahir also helped Nandni plan a schedule for practising the periodic table, making it easy for the full-time student to train while keeping up with her studies.
Nandni is a ninth grader at South City High School in Mithi, the capital of the Tharparkar district in Pakistan. “I really like going to school because I meet my friends and engage in different activities instead of getting bored at home,” says Nandni. Her favourite subject is physics; she especially loves learning about quantum theory, black body radiation and how scientists can calculate the temperature of stars just by their colour. “Physics helps us in understanding things around us and satisfying our curiosity,” she says. “One studies the universe at its smallest and largest scales.”
In Nandni’s mind, girls studying science is more than a right — it’s common sense. “Girls have the same right to education as boys,” she explains. “Educated girls can make informed decisions, and educating girls in science can increase a country’s productivity and fuel economic growth.” Her belief in the importance of girls’ education inspired Nandni to become involved with the Thar Education Alliance, a Malala Fund-supported organisation that hosts the annual Thar Science Festival where she made history in March.
“Girls have the same right to education as boys. Educated girls can make informed decisions, and educating girls in science can increase a country’s productivity and fuel economic growth.”
Led by Partab Rai Shivani, Thar Education Alliance works across the community and government to improve girls’ access to education in the region and improve learning outcomes for students — especially in science and math. “Thar Education Alliance is the only organization working for the betterment of education in Tharparkar,” explains Nandni. “We students need a platform, and Thar Education Alliance is providing it.”
After garnering attention for her record-breaking performance at the Thar Science Festival, it’s clear Nandni’s turn in the spotlight is just beginning. “During Thar Science Festival I was interviewed by many media outlets and many key persons came to meet with me,” she shares. “And I was awarded an Appreciation Certificate from the principal of our school — that was one of the happiest moments.” Next, Nandni plans to take part in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global video competition for students of life sciences, physics or mathematics. With one record already under her belt, it’s only a matter of time until Nandni’s next great feat.
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