On Wednesday, 10 February, twenty three-year-old Manasa Varanasi from Telangana was named winner of VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 with Manya Singh crowned as runner-up.
Earlier, Manya, who is from Uttar Pradesh, had opened up about her struggles growing up. In a post shared by the Miss India Organization, she recounted how she was not allowed to complete her education but had to begin working to help support her family. "Being a rickshaw driver's daughter, I never had the opportunity to attend school as I had to start working in my teens," she said. "Eventually my parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery my mother had to ensure that I paid my exam fees in order to earn a degree."
Manya went on to say that she ran away from home at the age of 14 and would study by day, work as a dishwasher in the evening and attend her job at a call centre at night to make ends meet.
"I am here today at the VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 stage to uplift my father , my mother and my young brother and to show the world that all is possible if you are committed to yourself and your dreams," she said.