Femina Miss India

Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects three winners to compete globally. The winner of Femina Miss India World vies in Miss World, Femina Miss India Earth winner competes in Miss Earth, and the third winner, Femina Miss India International goes to compete in Miss International. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

Femina Miss India used to select a winner and two runners up who were then sent to international contests such as Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Asia Pacific respectively. In 1995, the organizers of Femina Miss India ended the practice of crowning a single winner and instead decided that the contest would be used to crown three winners specifically to represent India at Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Asia Pacific. In 2002, the third winner was designated to Miss Earth instead of Miss Asia Pacific. In 2007, the organizers declared no more runners-up in the Femina Miss India contest: The three winners are equal. In the past, the winner of the Miss India Universe title was declared the winner of the pageant while the Miss India World was the runner up.

In 2010, Femina Miss India decided that they would no longer send a representative to Miss Universe at all, and relinquished the Miss Universe franchise, choosing instead to designate the third winner to represent India in Miss International instead, a contest that it had historically sent a finalist to.

The 49th edition of Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2012 was held on 30 March in Mumbai. 20 finalist competed for the coveted titles. 20-year-old Vanya Mishra won Femina Miss India World 2012, Prachi Mishra, 24 was crowned Femina Miss India Earth 2012, and Rochelle Maria Rao, age 23 won the Femina Miss India International 2012 crown. The women will represent India in their respective pageants.

Read more about Femina Miss India:  International Pageants, Controversies, By Number of Wins, Representation, Contestants Gallery

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