TIME magazine's shortlist for Person of the Year 2016 includes religious extremists, far-right leaders and ethically controversial scientists.
The annual coronation is made in December each year and goes to the "person who most influenced the news, for better or for worse". Despite the magazine's regular protests it is often seen as an honour or award.
The 2016 shortlist of 11 includes UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Turkey's authoritarian Islamic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the gene-editing CRISPR scientists, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-Elect Donald Trump.
The controversial Modi won the online readers' poll with 18 per cent of the vote ahead of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Julian Assange, who all received seven per cent, Hillary Clinton (four per cent) and Mark Zuckerberg (two per cent).
Modi's government is the political arm of the extreme Hindu nationalist group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
He also makes the shortlist of 11 for the official Person of the Year title. The winner is chosen by TIME editors but the online poll gives a flavour for public opinion.
A spokeswoman from religious freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide told Christian Today Modi's rule shows a "worrying disregard from human rights".
She said: "Mr Modi's stewardship as Chief Minister of Gujarat during the communal attack in Gujarat in 2002 continues to overshadow his record on freedom of religion or belief in India.
"His rise to premiership in 2014, which was built on Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) politics and the rise on attacks against religious minorities across India shows a worrying disregard for human rights."
Turkey's President Erdogan has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on opponents since a failed coup in July and analysts have suggested protestant Christians are now in the firing line.
US pastor Ryan Keating was recently expelled and branded a "threat to national security". He said his experience was "typical" of the way Christians are treated in Turkey.
The CRISPR scientists have developed groundbreaking new research to edit human DNA. This could remove mutations but has also raised profound ethical questions around designer babies.
Christian charity CARE said their inclusion was "disconcerting" given the "spurious ethics involved with their research".
CEO Nola Leach told Christian Today: "There are vast ethical holes in CRISPR's research – the risks involved in changing and altering DNA can have unpredictable implications for future generations. Genome editing is a cautionary tale; technological advancement should not override ethical costs."
She added their inclusion should not "invalidate the ethical concerns many scientists and members of the public have about gene editing". Leach urged governments to "be vigilant about the need to ensure that ethical and safety guidelines continue to be upheld with all research and any decisions regarding gene-editing moving forward."
TIME's full listis available here. The official result will be announced on Wednesday.
