Kamala Harris Says Ajay Banga Will Be A ‘Transformative’ World Bank Chief
WASHINGTON, DC (IANS) – President Joe Biden has named Ajay Banga, the former Indian American head of Mastercard, to head the World Bank and if confirmed by the Senate, Banga will be the first person of Indian descent to head the World Bank.
He will succeed David Malpas, who was appointed to head the bank by then President Donald Trump. Banga will be the second American of Asian-American descent in that position; the first was Dr. Jim Yong Kim. The US has historically had a hold on the Presidency of the World Bank and the Europeans on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is half Indian, said in a statement: “Ajay Banga will be a transformative World Bank President as the institution works to deliver on its core development goals and address pressing global challenges, including climate change.”
Harris said she has worked with Banga since her election “on a new model of a public-private partnership designed to address the root causes of migration in Northern Central America”, which was a key responsibility Biden entrusted her with to curb the flow of migrants from the region into the US.
Banga, who was born in India and studied at Delhi’s St Stephen’s College, currently serves as vice chairman at General Atlantic. Previously, he was President and CEO of Mastercard.
He has worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a founding trustee of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a former member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and Chairman Emeritus of the American India Foundation.
Banga was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, the Padma Shri Award by India in 2016, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award in 2019, and the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star in 2021
R Chandramouli
/
Why does the reporter always refer the VP as half Indian. She rarely considers herself to be of Indian heritage. Her pronouncements are always about being black and part of that community. Only when it comes to donations/contributions during elections, she becomes half Indian. Media should stop hyping her ‘so called Indian ‘ heritage.
February 24, 2023VIJAY
/
Yes, I find it hard to accept. It is very unfortunate. As a Vice President of the United States, it is troubling.
February 24, 2023Nina Dhillon
/
You are absolutely right!!
February 24, 2023VM Khanna
/
@Chandramouli. The truth is -she is half Indian. Whether she accepts it or not.
February 24, 2023Goddy
/
You cannot be full Indian in America. Don’t fool yourself. Culturally, you are bi national. You want to be full Indian, you should be in India. Kamala is genetically half Indian or American Indian. In America, Race is a construct and Indians are identified as Asians. Kamala identify culturally as African American but that does not change her genetic heritage. You don’t have to accept it, its a fact. You are not Indian because you simply identify as such.
February 24, 2023Anita
/
The truth is – in America if u r not white – you r a person of color n she identifies herself like that . Person of color is non white not necessary black. In that way all Indians r non white n persons of color.
That way politically she is appealing to all non whites including Indians .
Whites r very particular that way – a half white is black too – just like Obama. I always question why they r not considered whites even if their DNA makes their looks white.
That is the hard truth- every thing in life is not the way we want it to be . So stop being too sensitive n too critical. Above all she is a nice person – respect that .
February 25, 2023Desi
/
See how the racist and narrow minded attitude of “indians” here in usa (even after many years of being abroad have not learned anything of real value sadly) creates a bad image for us, the narrow attitude focuses on the small trivial thing and misses the main news.
April 24, 2023Focus on the main Great News! Kudos to Mr.Banga who will be the World Bank Chief. He will indeed be transformative like Dr.anmohan Singh. Proud moment for all indians.