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Indian Beauty Queen Manika Vishwakarma to Compete in Miss Universe 2025, Not Yet a Title Winner
A viral social media post claiming that Manika Vishwakarma from Rajasthan has won the Miss Universe 2025 title is misleading, according to an investigation by Vishvas News. The confusion stems from a video circulating online with captions declaring her the winner of the international pageant.
Vishwakarma has indeed achieved a significant milestone, but not the one claimed in the viral post. On August 18, 2025, she was crowned Miss Universe India 2025 at a ceremony held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. This victory qualifies her to represent India at the upcoming 74th Miss Universe pageant scheduled for November in Thailand, but she has not yet competed in or won the global competition.
“Manika will now represent India on the world stage, but the international competition hasn’t even taken place yet,” explained Smita Srivastava, a senior entertainment journalist at Dainik Jagran in Mumbai, who was consulted during the fact-checking process.
The investigation revealed that the video being shared as evidence of Vishwakarma’s supposed Miss Universe win is actually footage from December 2021, when another Indian contestant, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, won the 70th Miss Universe crown. This historic win brought the title back to India after 21 years, following Lara Dutta’s victory in 2000.
The misleading claim was widely shared on social media, including by a Facebook user named ‘Sukbir Tamang’ on October 24, 2025, with the caption: “Miss Universe 2025 is Manika Vishwakarma from India! Congratulations.” The post gained significant traction despite its inaccuracy.
At the Miss India 2025 pageant in Jaipur, Vishwakarma, who hails from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, emerged as the winner among stiff competition. Tanya Sharma from Uttar Pradesh was named the first runner-up, while Mehak Dhingra from Haryana took the second runner-up position, and Amishi Kaushik finished as the third runner-up.
India has a storied history in international beauty pageants. The country has produced six Miss World winners and three Miss Universe titleholders over the years. Sushmita Sen became the first Indian to win Miss Universe in 1994, followed by Lara Dutta in 2000 and most recently Harnaaz Sandhu in 2021.
The Miss Universe pageant, founded in 1952, remains one of the world’s most prestigious beauty competitions alongside Miss World and Miss International. The competition evaluates contestants not only on physical appearance but also on poise, intelligence, and their ability to represent their countries on global platforms.
Beauty pageants like Miss Universe have evolved significantly in recent decades, now emphasizing contestants’ advocacy work, professional achievements, and leadership qualities in addition to traditional beauty standards. Many winners use their platform to champion social causes and humanitarian efforts during their reign.
As Vishwakarma prepares to represent India on the international stage later this year, she follows in the footsteps of notable predecessors who have brought recognition to the country in global beauty competitions. Whether she will join the elite group of Indian Miss Universe winners remains to be seen when the competition takes place in Thailand this November.
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9 Comments
Interesting fact check on the Miss Universe claims. It’s good to see the investigation clarifying that Manika Vishwakarma has not yet won the global competition, even though she has achieved the important milestone of being crowned Miss Universe India 2025. Wishing her all the best in the upcoming pageant.
It’s great to see the disinformation commission taking the time to investigate these types of claims and set the record straight. Accuracy is so important, especially when it comes to high-profile events like pageants. I’ll be following Manika Vishwakarma’s journey with interest as she prepares for the Miss Universe competition.
Interesting to see the disinformation around Manika Vishwakarma’s title win. While she may not have the Miss Universe crown yet, becoming Miss Universe India is still a huge achievement. Looking forward to seeing how she performs in the upcoming global competition.
The video footage being shared appears to be from the 2021 Miss Universe competition, not this year’s event. It’s important to verify claims and sources before sharing content online. Looking forward to seeing how Manika Vishwakarma performs when she represents India at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant.
Pageant results can be a hot topic, so it’s good to see the facts being verified. Even though Manika Vishwakarma hasn’t yet won Miss Universe, her success in being crowned Miss Universe India is still a major accomplishment. I hope she does well in the global competition.
Agreed, it’s crucial to get the details right when reporting on events like this. Wishing Manika Vishwakarma the best of luck as she represents India on the international stage.
Misleading claims can spread so quickly online these days. I’m glad the disinformation commission took the time to thoroughly investigate this case and set the record straight. Accurately reporting on these kinds of pageant results is important to avoid confusion.
Exactly, fact-checking is crucial to prevent the spread of misinformation, especially around high-profile events like the Miss Universe pageant. Kudos to the commission for their diligence.
Congratulations to Manika Vishwakarma on being crowned Miss Universe India 2025! While she hasn’t yet won the global competition, this is still a significant achievement that puts her on the path to compete at the international level. Wishing her the best of luck in the future.