Modi, Mamata In 100 Most Influential People Of 2021

It is being said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity is slipping but his name has figured among the 100 Most Influential People of 2021 released by Time Magazine.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla have also been named in the list released on Wednesday.

Inclusion of one’s name in the list is often considered an honour and Time had made it clear that the entrants are recognised for changing the world, irrespective of the consequences of their actions.

The global list of leaders this year included US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan, former US President Donald Trump, Israeli PM Naftali Benett, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Modi, a pivotal leader

Modi’s profile written by CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria says in the 74 years as an independent nation, India has had three pivotal leaders since Independence – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi.

Modi is the third, dominating the country’s politics like no one since them, he adds.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

The profile of Mamata Banerjee written by journalist Barkha Dutt termed her “face of fierceness in Indian politics”. She adds, “Of Banerjee, it is said, she does not lead her party, the Trinamool Congress – she is the party. The street-fighter attitude and self-made life in a patriarchal culture set her apart.”

Adar Poonawalla, SII CEO

The profile of Adar Poonawalla says that from the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the 40-year-old head of world’s largest vaccine maker “sought to meet the moment”.

“The pandemic is not over yet, and Poonawalla could still help end it. Vaccine inequality is stark, and delayed immunisation in one part of the world can have global consequences- including the risk of more dangerous variants emerging.”

Others in the list include Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, American politician Liz Cheney, TV presenter Tucker Carlson, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, pop star Britney Spears, actor Kate Winslet, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Sudeikis and Omar Sy.