India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, a Chandigarh based girl who represented India at the 70th Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel has won Miss Universe 2021 title. She was crowned Miss Universe 2021 as she beat Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira and South Africa’s Lalela Mswane. It is an occasion to celebrate because before Harnaaz, only two Indians had won the title of Miss Universe, namely, Sushmita Sen (1994) and Lara Dutta (2000).
Before winning the Miss Universe title, Harnaaz Sandhu had won several beauty pageants. Earlier she had been crowned Miss Diva 2021 and Femina Miss India Punjab 2019. She had been also placed in the Top 12 at Femina Miss India 2019. Besides, Harnaaz Sandhu has also worked in Punjabi films such as Yaara Diyan Poo Baran and Bai Ji Kuttange. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Public Administration.
Hamaaz is a daughter of Ravinder Sandhu (mother), a doctor, currently working as the SMO Senior Medical Officer at Sohana Hospital and PS Sandhu (father) who is in the real estate business. At present she is doing her Masters from Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Chandigarh. Harnaaz is 21 years old and was born on March 3, 2000.
What is Miss Universe Pageant?
- Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant. It is one of the beauty pageants that is described as “Big Four international beauty pageants” viz, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth and Miss Universe.
- The title “Miss Universe” was first used by the International Pageant of Pulchritude in 1926. This contest was held annually until 1935, when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to its demise.
- This pageant is run by the United States–based Miss Universe Organization.
- The current Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Knitting Mills, a California-based clothing company and manufacturer of Catalina Swimwear.
- The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, California in 1952. It was won by Armi Kuusela from Finland, who gave up her title, though not officially, to get married, shortly before her year was completed.
- Until 1958, the Miss Universe title, like that of Miss America, was dated by the year following the contest, so at the time Ms. Kuusela’s title was Miss Universe 1953. The Miss Universe Organization and its brand are currently owned by Endeavor.
- Telemundo has the licensing rights to air the pageant for the next 5 years.
- The pageant’s advocacy is “humanitarian issues and is a voice to affect positive change in the world.”
- To gain participation in Miss Universe, a country needs a local company or person to buy the local rights of the competition through a franchise fee. The fee includes the rights of image, brand and everything related to the pageant. Often the owner of the franchise returns the franchise to the Miss Universe Organization, which resells it to a new stakeholder.
- Usually a country’s candidate selection involves pageants in the nation’s local subdivisions, where local winners compete in a national pageant, but there are some countries who opt for an internal selection.
- Contestants are required to be at least 18 years old. This presents a problem for several European countries, which allow 17-year-old contestants to compete in their pageants. National titleholders under 18 years of age must be replaced by their runner-up or another candidate in the main pageant.
- In recent years, all Miss Universe candidates have been required to be at least university degree holders or working professionals from the onset of their national pageant.
- Contestants have also been forbidden to be pregnant during the competition, and, in the case of winners, during their reign.
- Beginning in 2012, openly transgender women were allowed to compete, as long as they won their national pageants. Six years after this rule went into effect, Angela Ponce of Spain became the first openly transgender candidate to compete in the contest, in the 2018.