On Sunday, Dec. 13, 2021, Miss Universe crowned its 70th winner, Miss India Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu. She was one of the 80 contestants in the pageant, which was held in Eilat, Israel. 

“Chak de phatte India!” she exclaimed, meaning “Let’s do this, India!” after she succeeded over South Africa’s Lalela Mswane and Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira to win the Miss Universe title. Sandhu proudly accepted the Miss Universe crown as Andrea Meza of Mexico, last year’s Miss Universe winner, placed the jeweled crown on Sandhu. This is the third time in 21 years India has won Miss Universe. 

Seeing an Indian women achieve something so great makes me feel really happy and proud because I have never really heard or seen people talk about Indian women and their accomplishments. Especially being Indian, it really shows me that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in to achieve big things. 

Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu was born in the year 2000, in Chandigarh, India. She is studying for a master’s degree in public administration. 

“I am studying for a master’s in public administration because I am the youth of my country and I am keen to know what’s happening in my country and how it is administered,” she explained at an interview by Beauty Pageants.

She studied at Shivalik Public, Sector 41-B for six years. By profession, she is an Indian actor and model, she has done two Punjabi regional movies.

Some of Sandhu’s achievements include:

• On June 19 she represented Punjab at Femina Miss India 2019. 
• She is Miss Max Emerging Star 2018 India. 
• On July 4, 2018, she visited Hustle Studio by Aryeman Bhatia in Chandigarh.
• In 2021, she starred in the Punjabi films “Yaara Diyan Poo Baran” and “Bai Ji Kuttange.” 
• On Sept. 30, 2021, she represented Chandigarh at Miss Diva 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Mumbai and competed against 19 other finalists.

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global, inclusive organization that celebrates women of all cultures and backgrounds. It was started on June 28, 1952. It empowers women to gain confidence and to do their personal best. Annually, about ten thousand young women participate in Miss Universe pageant events. The mission of this organization is to provide women with tools that can help them to become their personal best and become confident about themselves. The MUO is a sisterhood that is committed to uplifting and empowering one another. Research has proved that the #1 struggle for women to overcome in reaching their potential, is a lack of self-confidence. MUO develops self-confidence, because of this, women have gone onto high-profile careers in government, business, finance, broadcasting, and entertainment. The representatives and titleholders that have participated in the MUO system use their personal, professional, and philanthropic goals to help women build their self-confidence. These women are forward-thinking and motivated to not just talk about change but to turn it into reality.

Harnaaz Sandhu is an inspiration to young women all across the world, she didn’t let the typical stereotypes stop her from doing what she wanted to. Sandhu believes that women can do anything they put their mind to, that women should not listen to haters that don’t encourage what they believe in. “I think 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 yourself with others and let us talk about more important things that are happening worldwide. I think this is what you need to understand, come out and speak for yourself because you are the leader of your life, you are the voice of your own, I believed in myself and that’s why I am standing here today,” said Sandhu at the Miss Universe Pageant. 

There has to be someone to inspire an idea even if people don’t like it in the beginning, someone has to be brave enough to start something new, and that’s what Harnaaz Sandhu did. She showed people that Indian women can also do great things.