Instagram recently introduced its one-time ‘Instants’ photo-sharing feature that allows people to send images right to their friends or close friends’ inboxes. The feature appears to be a way to encourage users to send short-term, spontaneous shots to their close contacts via messages
West Asia crisis raises oil risks; India markets remain resilient: SEBI chiefIndian markets are capable of absorbing shocks before returning to a “normal trajectory” once uncertainties ease Published on: May 18, 2026 5:07 PM IST By Debabrata Mohanty
A cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is scheduled to arrive in the port city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Monday morning (May 18, 2026). The MV Hondius has spent the past six days sailing from the Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers were escorted off the vessel by
Malaysia said on Monday (May 18, 2026) it had ended a search for passengers of a migrant boat from Indonesia that sank off the country's western coast last week after the bodies of all 16 missing were recovered. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Perak state said 23 people were
Quote of the day by Bella Hadid: ‘I can’t wait to be a mom, I think that would make me truly happy’When Bella Hadid got candid on her vision for the future, family, and being an auntie to Khai, sister Gigi Hadid's daughter. Read her exact quote on motherhood. Published on: May 18
Dark mode vs light mode: Ophthalmologist explains when you should toggle which mode on phone for lower vision stressInstead of aesthetic purpose, medically approach the display modes on your phone to lower visual stress. Updated on: May 18, 2026 5:17 PM IST By Adrija Dey Share via Copy link Your
Mumbai landlord regrets renting out ₹80 lakh flat after dispute over unpaid electricity bill: 'Full-time stress job'A Mumbai-based landlord recently shared his frustration over managing a rented flat in Mira Road. Updated on: May 18, 2026 4:36 PM IST By Bhavya Sukheja Share via Copy link Owning a
‘Only four more months’: DMK leader's bold forecast on Vijay-led TVK regimeHe said that DMK president MK Stalin, who served as chief minister before Vijay’s sweeping victory in the April Assembly election, would soon return to power. Published on: May 18
The Indian woman who stood up to moral policing - and won a pageant
The Indian woman who stood up to moral policing - and won a pageant
Muskan Sharma stood up to men who tried to bully her over her clothes - and went on to win hearts and a beauty pageant.
The 23-year-old, who was crowned Miss Rishikesh 2025 last week in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, told the BBC that even though it was a small local pageant, "it made me feel like Miss Universe".
Sharma's win has made headlines in India as it came after a viral video that showed her spiritedly arguing with a man who barged into their rehearsals just a day before the 4 October contest.
Sharma, who "wanted to be a model and participate in a pageant since I was in school", said the intruders came in just as they broke for lunch.
"We were sitting around, chilling, having a laugh when they walked in," she said.
The footage showed Raghavendra Bhatnagar, district head of a Hindu group called Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, objecting to skirts and western dresses Sharma and other contestants were wearing.
Modelling is over, go back home," Bhatnagar is heard telling them. "This is against Uttarakhand's culture.
Sharma refuses to back down. "Why don't you shut the shops which sell them [Western clothes]?"
She then tells him that he should expend his energies on things that are worse than women's clothing - social evils such as drinking and smoking.
"There's a shop right outside that sells cigarettes and alcohol. Why don't you shut that down? First stop those things and I will stop wearing these clothes," she says.
The man snaps at her saying "don't tell me what to do". Likewise, she retorts. "If you have the right to choose, then so do we. Our opinion matters as much as yours," she says.
As the argument continues, Sharma is joined by some of the other contestants and organisers and Bhatnagar and his group, who threatened to stop the show, are finally escorted out by the hotel manager.
Sharma says her reaction to Bhatnagar was "spontaneous".
"I could see my dreams shattering in front of me. The only question in my mind at the time was will the pageant go on? Will I be able to walk the ramp? Or will all my hard work go waste?" she says.
The next day, the event went on as planned and Sharma won the crown.
"For three seconds after I heard my name announced, I was shocked," she said.
"But then I was happy that I stood up for myself and that I won. It felt like a double victory. It was a small pageant in a small place but it made me feel like Miss Universe," she said.
Sharma says heckling of women for their clothing is unheard of in Rishikesh, a city in the Himalayan foothills on the banks of Ganges river. It's known for its ashrams and meditation and yoga retreats and is considered a holy Hindu site that draws in large numbers of tourists and pilgrims.
The city is also sought out by fans of Beatles because the Fab Four had spent weeks at an ashram there in 1968.
"You see tourists dressed in western clothing here all the time and no-one bats an eyelid," she adds.
Globally, beauty pageants have been criticised for objectifying women and reinforcing gender stereotypes.
But these contests have been hugely popular in India since 1994 - the year when Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe crown and Aishwarya Rai brought home the Miss World trophy.
Both went on to become top Bollywood actresses and have inspired generations of young women since then to follow in their path.
Similar successes in later years of Priyanka Chopra, Diana Hayden and Lara Dutta have only reinforced the belief that beauty pageants can be a ticket to success, especially for young women in small-town India.
Sharma says her parents have always been very supportive of her decision to participate in the pageant. In the viral video, she's even heard asking Bhatnagar: "Who are you to comment on my clothing if my parents allow me to to wear them?"
But the backlash to Western clothing in India is not new where what women wear routinely becomes a subject of debates. In a deeply patriarchal society, many link western clothing, especially jeans, to the "moral degradation" of young people.
Schools and colleges set dress codes for female students and sometimes village elders bar an entire community of girls from wearing jeans.
The BBC has reported a number of cases where girls and women have been singled out and humiliated for their clothes.
A few years ago, we wrote about a 19-year-old student in Assam who turned up in shorts to take an exam and was forced to wrap a curtain around her legs after the teacher objected.
In one extreme case, a teenager was allegedly murdered by her relatives for wearing jeans.
Namita Bhandare in her column in The Hindustan Times newspaper points out that there is no objection to the Mr Rishikesh contest where participants are barely dressed.
The objection to Sharma and other contestants' clothing, she writes, is "barely a fig-leaf".
The issue is not clothes. The issue is freedom and aspiration. How dare these young women be on a stage that could springboard them to a larger global platform? How dare they cross lines of honour and shame that a patriarchal society has imposed on them?
Bhandare writes that in India where there are not enough women MPs or judges, the pushback by young women from a small town is remarkable.
Sharma says it's her mother who taught her to stand up for what's right. "The crown is as much my mother's as it's mine. Without her I wouldn't be the person I am today."
Her story, she believes, will now encourage other women to stand up for themselves, for what is right.
I'm saying that in the moment, I was scared and nervous too. But I also want to say that if you believe that you're right, then you can also fight.
For me," she says, "the crown was always secondary. The more important thing was to encourage women to stand up against injustice, to speak up for what's right,
I ask her what's the next step for her.
I will go for Miss Uttarakhand next year and then Miss India. After that, I'll see where life takes me.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Railway cops trace 305 missing children under Operation Muskan in Jan-Feb Muskan Dongre Becomes First Girl From MP's Naxal-Affected Balaghat To Clear NEET Charlie Kirk murder suspect can wear civilian clothes in court Inside ‘world’s biggest nude cruise’ where you sail without clothes for ₹46 lakh Controversial Personality Who Changed Clothes During 26/11 Attacks Controversial Personality Who Changed Clothes During 26/11 Attacks People bully me for being a girl Middle East bully's nuke sites completely Silence emboldens the bully
Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa played out a draw with Dutchman Jorden Van Foreest even as Germany's Vincent Keymer surged ahead following a facile victory in the fourth round of Super Chess Classic in Bucharest. With a sole win over Alireza Firouzja of France and three draws
1 days ago
‘People are earning more but losing peace’: Techie explains why life in Tier 1 cities is mentally drainingA techie said Tier 1 city life looked exciting from outside, but came with high rent, traffic and stress. Published on: May 18, 2026 5:00 PM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link
1 days ago
India’s higher education admissions are evolving as students and parents prioritise relevance over legacy. Curriculum quality, faculty readiness, employability, and visible modernisation are reshaping trust in universities. As AI transforms jobs and skills
1 days ago
‘Never give up’: Bengaluru engineer reveals how he landed Amazon job after 7 rejectionsA Bengaluru man revealed he faced 7 Amazon rejections in 5 years before finally landing his dream job there. Published on: May 18, 2026 1:51 PM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link A Bengaluru
1 days ago
Road crash in UP leaves 10 deadRoad crash in UP leaves 10 dead Published on: May 18, 2026 1:56 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Lakhimpur Kheri , Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said
1 days ago
The Madhya Pradesh Police has said that it was yet to find any links between the seven persons arrested for recently assaulting a Muslim man in a hotel in Bhopal, and any Hindutva organisations, The Indian Express reported on Monday. On May 10
1 days ago
Sangeeta Bijlani has reacted to Salman Khan’s recent shirtless photo, and her comment has gone viral, as they used to date each other and even almost got married. On Sunday, Salman shared a shirtless picture of himself, showing off his ripped physique and chiselled abs
1 days ago
Maha coaching firm director received NEET paper 10 days before exam, was ‘part of organised gang’HT has learnt that Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar was part of an organised gang who had the paper on his phone and had leaked it to several people. Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
Spinach malfati is a comforting, vegetarian twist on Italian dumplings, where soft spinach‑paneer parcels meet a rich, roasted‑pepper walnut tomato sauce. Instead of a simple cream‑based pasta, these malfati celebrate earthy flavours: blanched spinach and creamy paneer are shaped into rustic
1 days ago
ASI grants Hindus unrestricted daily access to MP’s disputed Bhojshala complexThe site will continue to be a protected monument under the AMASR Act 1958, with worship timings to be determined by the superintending archaeologist Published on: May 18, 2026 2:02 PM IST By Harsh Yadav
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Want richer sound for Netflix and gaming? Consider these smart TVs with powerful audio outputNo need to buy a soundbar for your TV, cinematic audio
1 days ago
‘Very difficult choices’: Putin running out of options in Ukraine as war stalls, says Estonia intel chiefRussia is losing more troops than it is recruiting in Ukraine war, says Estonia intelligence chief Kaupo Rosin amid mounting battlefield pressure Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
Senior AIADMK leader S Semmalai resigned from the party, citing immense mental anguish over recent developments and the party's current state. He expressed concern that internal conflicts were damaging the legacy of MGR and Jayalalithaa, leading him to step down with a heavy heart
1 days ago
Who is Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff who said he will not hire any more engineers?Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, announced no new engineer hires due to reliance on AI for coding tasks. While AI increased productivity by 30%. Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
The southwest monsoon is expected to hit Kerala on May 26, nearly a week ahead of its normal onset date of June 1, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather office has also said the monsoon has already advanced into parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
1 days ago
Feeling backed up for days? Gastroenterologist shares a simple bathroom hack that can help with constipationIf you're struggling with constipation and incomplete bowel clearing, try out this simple hack. Dr Salhab explains why it works. Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake in China’s southwest region of Guangxi early on Monday (May 18, 2026) killed two and forced more than 7,000 in the city of Liuzhou to evacuate as search and rescue operations continue and authorities warn of transport disruptions.A magnitude 5
1 days ago
Indian content creator Ankush Bahuguna has shared an unpleasant experience from London after he said he faced homophobic comments on the streets for wearing a pink outfit. The fashion and lifestyle influencer posted a video on Instagram on May 17
1 days ago
Nancy Guthrie case: Daughter Annie Guthrie reads poem titled ‘Dear Missing’ in old video, sparks buzz, ‘How strange’Amid the search for Nancy Guthrie, a 2015 video of her daughter Annie Guthrie reading a poem titled ‘Dear Missing’ has surfaced on social media. Published on: May 18
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.We Tested the Best 1 Ton 3-Star ACs: Top Models That Cool Efficiently at 45°C (2026 Guide)These ACs come with energy saving inverter compressor technology and they are available with
1 days ago
An Indian court has told Apple to "fully cooperate" with investigators in an antitrust case related to the , not agreeing with the U.S. company's request to put the case on hold while it challenges the law governing antitrust penalties.The Delhi High Court said in an order posted on its
1 days ago
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches at premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party leader Deepak Singla and some others in an alleged bank loan fraud-linked money laundering case, PTI reported. The searches are being undertaken at locations in Delhi and Goa
1 days ago
₹3 lakh stipend, hotel stay: IIT student’s Bengaluru internship sparks debateAn IIT student’s internship package in Bengaluru has sparked a wave of reactions online after investor and entrepreneur Kush Agarwal shared details of the offer Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
An Indian travel vlogger has shared what he called one of the “worst" experiences from his Europe trip after a follower who invited him to stay at his home in Munich allegedly later demanded rent money and sent threatening messages. Travel creator Gautam Sachdeva spoke about the incident in an
1 days ago
Drinking iced drinks in summer? Gastroenterologist warns why it actually may backfire and make you feel ‘hotter’The cooling effect of iced drinks may actually be a deception. Know why the instant cooling feeling in your body may be unhealthy. Updated on: May 18
1 days ago
Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid has been granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court until June 2 following the death of his father. Currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with terror-funding charges, Rashid will be escorted by police during his temporary release
1 days ago
All four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collided and crashed on Sunday (May 17, 2026) during an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in western Idaho, officials said. The collision involved two U.S. Navy EA18-G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 in Whidbey
1 days ago
