Arunima supported child-friendly development in Rourkela at WRI India by promoting playful learning in vulnerable communities. Her efforts helped reclaim child-friendly spaces in slums through community engagement and capacity building. She holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the National Institute of Technology Rourkela and a master's degree in Urban Design from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Additionally, Arunima has actively taught underprivileged children in slums for five years.
Planning for 'Care' oriented healthy cities for vulnerable communities
The modern 'crisis of care' strains individual support capacity, particularly affecting marginalized caregivers, primarily women, who lack accessible caregiving resources. This creates an unequal socio-spatial distribution of care, burdening women caregivers and impacting the health of both caregivers and children, perpetuating intergenerational socio-economic challenges and health inequalities. Prioritizing caregiving in early childhood is crucial to break this cycle and promote health equity.
Arunima’s research integrates caregivers' perspectives into urban care planning, empowering them to manage their well-being. She aims to develop theories of socio-spatial care planning strategies, fostering a global movement toward care-oriented, healthy cities.
- President's Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
- International Tuition Award
- Four Year Fellowships (4YF) Tuition Award
- BPOC Graduate Excellence Award
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) Scholarship
- Aditya Birla Yuvaratna Award with Scholarship
