Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah featured in ‘TIME100 Next’ list

KATHMANDU: The popular TIME magazine has acknowledged Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra Shah as one of the 100 future leaders worldwide.

According to the magazine, the ‘Time100 Next’ list recognizes emerging leaders across various domains, including health, climate, business, sports, and the arts. “Traditionally, with efforts like Person of the Year and TIME100, we have used the power of our spotlight to draw attention to those who have achieved peak influence in their fields. But a great magazine and a great media company should not just reflect the present, it should push us forward, showing what is possible as well as what society’s future and future leaders will look like,” the magazine has stated.

TIME has categorized future leaders into five different categories: Artists, Phenoms, Innovators, Leaders, and Advocates, with Mayor Shah featured in the ‘Leaders’ category.

The magazine highlighted Mayor Shah’s achievements, stating, “The 33-year-old, who holds a master’s degree in structural engineering, ran as an independent candidate and effectively utilized platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to channel voter dissatisfaction with the existing status quo. This effort sparked a ‘Balen effect,’ resulting in as many as 385 independent candidates prevailing over veteran politicians in last spring’s local elections.”

It also mentions Shah’s straightforward campaign promises, which addressed crucial issues such as improved waste disposal and sanitation, safe drinking water, clean roads, and the preservation of cultural heritage alongside urban development.