Miss Nagaland 2025 on Dec. 4 at RCEMPA

BASN to participate in Miss Northeast and Miss India only; decides to discontinue beauty contests that involves franchise and money

KOHIMA — Miss Nagaland 2025, organised by Beauty and Aesthetic Society Nagaland (BASN) along with all its district partners is all set to be held on Dec. 4 at RCEMPA, Jotsoma from 5 pm onwards.

The president of BASN, Mele Pucho, announced this during a press conference held at Hotel Japfü, Kohima on Saturday.

A total of 16 participants from 12 districts will be vying for the title.

He informed that the official title winners from 12 districts as well as four runner-up contestants from pageants including Miss Sumi, Miss Mokokchung, Miss Wokha and Miss Kohima were selected.

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He said that they called for an audition and selected the four runners-up, making a total of 16 contestants.

He also clarified that some districts namely Shamator, Noklak, Tuensang and Meluri, are not competing for the title as they had not conducted district pageants.

Pucho further declared that from this year onwards, entry for Miss Nagaland will be only through district partners and district winners since most of the districts conduct pageants. Therefore, he encouraged girls who wish to enter Miss Nagaland competition to first go through the district pageants.

BASN to discontinue beauty contests that involves franchise and money

The president also shared that over the last few years the beauty pageant industry has grown and national pageants has increased, and therefore informed the public to be aware of where to participate and where not to inorder to avoid misinformation.

Many pageants like Miss Era India, Miss Glorific India and other pageants are coming up, but BASN will not be participating, he confirmed.

He opined that beauty pageants have become a very big business today.

He cited that Miss North East is a genuine pageant as all the title winners from the northeastern states come together to compete and so they will continue to send the title winners to partake in the Miss Northeast platform. He also included that they will continue to partake in the Miss India title as it is another genuine platform.

But he announced that they will discontinue partaking at some national beauty contests including Miss Universe India and Miss Grand India, as lots of money is involved. He said that Miss universe has become a franchise and so they are against buying the franchise and the system. He discouraged the others also not to partake in such competitions which involves money and not talent.

"When there is money involved, but there is no talent, it discourages us a lot, and that is why we are against this system", he stated.

He mentioned that the BASN has held a joint meeting with all the district partners and has decided not to send girls to partake in other beauty contests apart from Miss Northeast and Miss India. He also mentioned that they have written to the organisers of Miss Universe that they do not want to continue buying the franchise.

He clarified that it is not a permanent ban but untill the system changes, they will not encourage the girls to go. But if the system changes they will continue to participate in many national platforms and international platforms as well.

He also made it clear that if any girls from Nagaland go against the wishes of the state organisers, they will not help and also will not give them recognition at the district or state level.

He has learned that today most of the national pageants are scripted and no proper competition. He also mentioned that the apex Northeast Beauty Pageant Organisation has decided not to send their girls in national pageants except for Miss Northeast and Miss India.