22-year-old Udupi girl bags 3rd Runner-up Spot at Miss Universe 2020
Florida, May 17: Andrea Meza of Mexico has been crowned Miss Universe for the year 2020, besting contestants from 73 other countries, including Miss India Adline Castelino, who came in fourth at the beauty pageant.
The 69th edition of the event, which was held on Sunday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood here, was a scaled-down affair in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The competition was postponed from late 2020 to May 2021 due to COVID-19.
According to the official Miss Universe website, the 26-year-old Meza was crowned by her predecessor Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa, who won the pageant in 2019.
When asked if she were the leader of her country, how she would have handled the pandemic, the Mexican contestant said there was "not a perfect way to handle this hard situation".
"However, I believe that what I would have done is create a lockdown even before everything was that big. Because we lost so many lives and we can not afford that, we have to take care of our people. I would have taken care of them since the beginning," Meza said in her response.
In her final statement, she was asked about her take on beauty standards.
"We live in a society that is more and more advanced... Nowadays, beauty is the only way we look. For me, beauty radiates not only in our spirit but in our hearts and the way that we conduct ourselves," Meza added.
While Brazil's Julia Gama, 28, emerged the runner-up at the contest, Janick Maceta (27) from Peru finished third.
India's Castelino expressed her gratitude towards her country, which is battling a deadlier, second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, for support.
"Grateful for the love and support of the organisation and the country during such difficult times," the 22-year-old model said in a statement.
Miss Diva Universe India also congratulated Castelino via its official Twitter page.
"India places 3rd Runner Up at @MissUniverse! Our hearts are filled with immense pride for our LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2020, @AdlineCastelino who has done such an exceptional job at the Miss Universe Pageant! We couldn't have asked for a better representative than you," the post read.
Singer Luis Fonsi of "Despacito" fame performed at the three-hour competition, hosted by Mario Lopez and Olivia Culpo.
This is the third Miss Universe victory for Mexico, with Ximena Navarrete and Lupita Jones being declared winners in 2010 and 1991, respectively.
The pageant was livestreamed on Voot Select in India and is currently available on the platform.
What a powerful final answer from India. #MISSUNIVERSE
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) May 17, 2021
LIVE on @FYI from @hardrockholly in #HollywoodFL pic.twitter.com/gmAjzt6n3T
3rd Runner-Up for India ?? at @MissUniverse ?
— Miss Diva (@MissDivaOrg) May 17, 2021
Congratulations @AdlineCastelino You have made us immensely proud! Your resilience, determination & grace shined throughout the competition and the hard work you’ve put in your journey reflected in you this night! We are proud of u❤️ pic.twitter.com/hoi54G7d8A
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Delhi elections: Items worth over Rs 21 crore seized within week of MCC coming into force
New Delhi (PTI): The office of the Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) informed on Monday that in the run-up to the Assembly polls in the capital, cash and other items like liquor, worth more than Rs 21 crore, have been seized by various departments within a week of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into effect.
The MCC was implemented on January 7, immediately after the announcement of the poll schedule. Voting for Delhi's 70 Assembly constituencies is scheduled to take place on February 5, with the results set to be declared on February 8.
The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC) to ensure free and fair polls. It regulates the conduct of the political parties and candidates, covering areas such as meetings, processions, election manifestoes, polling and general behaviour during the electoral process.
According to data provided by the Delhi CEO's office, the highest value of seized items was reported in East Delhi, amounting to Rs 6.83 crore. South Delhi followed closely with Rs 6.81 crore, while the New Delhi area recorded the lowest seizures worth Rs 3.9 lakh.
In all, items worth Rs 21.89 crore have been confiscated across the capital. This includes Rs 9.8 crore in cash, precious metals worth Rs 6.1 crore, drugs worth Rs 5.05 crore, freebies worth more than Rs 47 lakh and liquor worth over Rs 45 lakh.
Earlier in the day, during an interaction with the media, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Alice Vaz said preparations for the Assembly polls are progressing smoothly.
Training programmes for the polling personnel have begun and critical data related to nominations, permissions and enforcement activities are being monitored daily, she added.
The CEO emphasised the importance of mapping the vulnerable and critical polling stations to ensure smooth voting.
"We will follow all the instructions of the Election Commission of India for the mapping of the vulnerable polling stations," she said.
Police deployments and security arrangements for the elections are yet to be finalised, Vaz noted.
