KMC mayor Balen listed one among ‘2023 TIME 100 Next’

Balendra Shah ‘Balen’, Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has been listed as one among 100 rising leaders for the year 2023 by the TIME magazine.

The magazine that was launching ‘Person of the Year’ and ‘TIME 100’ since long had begun listing ‘TIME 100 next’ in 2019 as an endeavor to ‘not just reflect the present, but showing what is possible as well as what society’s future and future leaders will look like.’

The list includes rising leaders in health, climate, business, sports, the arts and more from across the globe.

Sharing on the research and reporting for the Time 100 Next, the magazine writes, “We shift through hundreds of suggestions and then meet each week to debate who belongs on the list.”

“The 33-year-old, who has a master’s degree in structural engineering, ran as an independent and used TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to harness voter anger over the status quo—sparking a ‘Balen Effect’ that saw as many as 385 independent candidates triumph over veteran politicians in last spring’s local elections,” it said.

“In a city still reeling from a deadly 2015 earthquake, Shah’s campaign promises were simple but offered desperately needed fixes: better waste disposal and sanitation, safe drinking water, clean roads, and the preservation of cultural heritage alongside urban development. His efforts to make good on these promises have been met with scrutiny, including in regard to their impact on the city’s poor and their reliance on demolishing buildings deemed illegal,” it added.

All those listed in The TIME 100 Next will meet in October joining the dinner party to be held in New York City, according to the Magazine.