Senior Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said that with powerful world leaders like Germany's Angela Merkel and Russia's Vladmir Putin out of the list, the survey has "no credibility" and is "not worth the paper on which it has been written".
He suggested that it was a different question if the Prime Minister wanted a "certificate".
Noting that WEF is just a "commercial think tank", Sharma, a former Commerce and Industry Minister, said one could become a member after giving 50,000 dollars.
In the survey, Mahatma Gandhi is ranked fourth most admired leader. The survey is of more than 1,000 millennials. The respondents were spread across 285 cities in 125 countries.
After Mandela, the WEF's Global Shapers Annual Survey 2015 found that Pope Francis is the second most admired leader. Others in the list are Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk (3rd rank), Microsoft Founder Bill Gates (5), US President Barack Obama (6th), Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson (7), Apple Founder Steve Jobs (8), Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus (9) and US investor Warren Buffett (11).
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
