{
  "id": 5900012,
  "title": "‘Irrespective Of Our Age, We Are All Just Little Girls At Heart’: Kaziah Liz Mejo On Taking India's Miss Universe Legacy Forward",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/irrespective-of-our-age-we-are-all-just-little-girls-at-heart-kaziah",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T03:35:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/irrespective-of-our-age-we-are-all-just-little-girls-at-heart-kaziah-liz-mejo-on-taking-indias-miss-universe-legacy-forward"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old law student from Kerala, has become the first beauty queen from her region to win the Miss Universe India title. She will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November. Born out of a desire to fulfill her mother's dream, Kaziah has poured her heart and soul into her journey, which began at a young age. Despite the pressure and fears surrounding her early entry into the beauty pageant, Kaziah credits her faith in God for guiding her through the challenges. She believes that pressure is a natural part of the process and sees it as a driving force rather than something to be feared. Kaziah's unwavering self-belief and dedication to her goals have allowed her to rise to the occasion as India's representative at the prestigious international pageant.",
  "summary": "Back in 1994, Sushmita Sen became the first Indian to win the Miss Universe title. She was just 18 years old. Lara Dutta’s victory in 2000 marked India's second triumph at the global beauty pageant, while Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu brought the crown home again in 2021, nearly two decades later. Now, all eyes are on the newly crowned Miss Universe India 2026, Kaziah Liz Mejo. She will represent India at…",
  "key_points": [
    "Kaziah Liz Mejo, 19, first Miss Universe India from Kerala",
    "First from region to win title, representing India in November",
    "Faith in God guides her through beauty pageant challenges"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kaziah Liz Mejo's win as Miss Universe India breaks regional barriers, representing a milestone for her home state of Kerala and fulfilling a personal dream tied to her mother's aspirations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}