This word means: Miss World

What is the Miss World pageant?

The Miss World pageant is one of the oldest such competitions in the world. It was first held in Britain in 1951.

According to US public broadcaster PBS, it coincided with the era “of postwar reconstruction”, and was held at the British government-staged Festival of Britain. The larger event also featured the latest industrial products, technological discoveries and the arts.

However, the need to boost audience attendance led to the festival reaching out to Eric Morley, a publicity director at a London-based company. He persuaded planners to add an international beauty contest. Morley said contestants should be judged while wearing what was then a new beachwear sensation, the bikini.

However, threats from the likes of Ireland and Spain to withdraw from the competition “because of their opposition to women being judged in bikinis” led to the adoption of a one-piece bathing suit instead.

The show’s success led to it becoming an annual feature, its popularity aided by the rise of television. The competition has come to include talent showcases, sports challenges, and charitable initiatives, all to highlight the qualities that make the contestants “exceptional ambassadors of change.

Morley’s widow, Julia Morley, co-chairs the competition at present. Miss World is distinct from the other three popular global pageants – the Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth. Miss Universe Organisation, for instance, was once owned by US President Donald Trump in the late 1990s.

What happened when India first hosted Miss World?

With the liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, international brands saw a sizable new market waiting to be tapped into. In 1994, the Miss World and Miss Universe titles were won by two Indian women – Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen, respectively – helping increase pageants’ popularity in this region. Other Indian winners include actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas (2000), doctor Reita Faria (1966) and most recently, Manushi Chillar (2017).

Miss World Aishwarya Rai (1994) speaking at a function. (Express archives)

In a paper, Indiana University academic Radhika Parameswaran wrote that the 1996 event saw considerable business heft with sponsors ranging from manufacturers of soaps to credit card companies. But the idea of India hosting it was accompanied by significant backlash. The event was organised by actor Amitabh Bachchan’s Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. (ABCL), and the company is reported to have suffered financial losses after the pageant.

The New York Times reported that “the numerous protests included self-immolation. Strange bedfellows found themselves entwined in their mutual outrage – feminists who found such contests degrading to women and Hindu nationalists who saw the show as an invasion of Western degeneracy. The swimsuit competition had to be moved to the nearby and more hospitable Seychelles Islands.” One man set himself on fire and died in the protests.