Indian-origin Krishna Shukla from Canberra juggles several hats.
The finalist of the Miss Grand International Australia pageant is a promising student, trained classical dancer, fashion model and a women’s rights activist who’s a prominent face among New South Wales' Indian community.
The 20-year-old has now added another feather to her hat, becoming the first Indian to be selected in the final round of the beauty pageant scheduled to be held in Sydney on June 16th.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Miss Shukla said the competition is not just about beauty, but “beauty with a purpose”.
Krishna Shukla-finalist from NSW for Miss Grand Australia 2018 Source: Facebook
"These are not old days where a pageant is all about beauty. In fact, for Miss Grand, at least 25 per cent of our total score was based on our social contributions and overall personality"- Krishna Shukla
“I’m already raising funds and working for the social upliftment of women in society. The pageant has further enhanced my confidence and given me a financial resource to fund my own campaigns", added Miss Shukla.
She will now compete against 30 fellow Australians picked from across the country for the title 'Miss Grand Australia 2018'.
The winner will then represent Australia the Thailand-based Miss Grand International contest, held annually in search of potential women to run the campaign “Stop the War and Violence”.
It's mission, on its website states: "Together we will make a stand for the betterment of humanity."
Miss Shukla’s journey emigrated from Pune in western India to Canberra, aged eight, with her family. Since then she has taken on varied roles.
Krishna Shukla is currently studying finance at Australian National University (ANU), where she is also involved in 'Ekta', a society promoting South Asian culture. She is also the secretary of the ‘Indian Australian Association of Canberra’, organising events to promote social cohesion between Indians and Australians.
She began her modelling career after she was chosen as one of the top seven finalists in the ‘Mirchi Queen’ contest, held in her native city in Pune in 2016.
Thanking the community for its unflinching support, Miss Shukla said she wants to win the title for all the South Asian women living in Australia.
