December 26, 2025 09:23 pm (IST)

Make this your homepage

News

Christmas vandalism sparks mass arrests in Raipur; Assam acts too with crackdown on 'religious intolerance' | BJP's VV Rajesh becomes Thiruvananthapuram Mayor after party topples Left's 45-year-rule in city corporation | ‘I can’t bear the pain’: Indian-origin father of three dies after 8-hour hospital wait in Canada hospital | Janhvi Kapoor, Kajal Aggarwal, Jaya Prada slam brutal lynching in Bangladesh, call out ‘selective outrage’ | Tarique Rahman returns to Bangladesh after 17 years | Shocking killing inside AMU campus: teacher shot dead during evening walk | Horror on Karnataka highway: sleeper bus bursts into flames after truck crash, 9 killed | PM Modi attends Christmas service at Delhi church, sends message of love and compassion | Delhi erupts over lynching of Hindu man in Bangladesh; protest outside High Commission | Targeted killing sparks global outrage: American lawmakers condemn mob lynching of Hindu man in Bangladesh

Miss Universe

India's Harnaaz Sandhu wins Miss Universe 2021

IBNS | @indiablooms | Dec 13, 2021, at 04:33 pm

#HarnaazSandhu #MissUniverse #MissUniverse2021 #LaraDutta #SushmitaSen

Ending the wait for 21 years, India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned the Miss Universe 2021 on Sunday.

The 70th Miss Universe event was held in Eilat city of Israel.

The 21-year-old model from Punjab won the showpiece event by beating Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira and South Africa's Lalela Mswane.

The new Miss Universe is...India!!!! #MISSUNIVERSE pic.twitter.com/DTiOKzTHl4
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 13, 2021

Andrea Meza, former Miss Universe 2020 from Mexico, presented the title to her.

Earlier only two Indians were crowned Miss Universe, first was Sushmita Sen in 1994 and second was Lara Dutta (now Lara Dutta Bhupathi) in 2000.

When she was asked what advice she would give to young women on dealing with the pressure they face, Sandhu said in her statement, "The biggest pressure the youth of today is facing is to believe in themselves, to know that you are unique and that's what makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourselves with others and let's talk about more important things that's happening worldwide."

"I think this is what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourselves because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own...," she added.

FINAL STATEMENT: India. #MISSUNIVERSE

The 70th MISS UNIVERSE Competition is airing LIVE around the world from Eilat, Israel on @foxtv pic.twitter.com/wwyMhsAyvd
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 13, 2021

Congratulating Sandhu, Lara Dutta Bhupathi tweeted,"Congratulations @HarnaazSandhu03 !!!! Welcome to the club!!! We’ve waited 21 long years for this!!! You make us SO SO proud!!! A billion dreams come true!!!"

Congratulations @HarnaazSandhu03 !!!! Welcome to the club!!! We’ve waited 21 long years for this!!! You make us SO SO proud!!! A billion dreams come true!!! @MissDivaOrg @MissUniverse
— Lara Dutta Bhupathi (@LaraDutta) December 13, 2021

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.