Why India's Crown Jewels have gone missing

After the magical 90s when it seemed there was nothing a Miss India couldn't win, it's difficult to imagine what she can.

What promised to be a beauty boom has gone bust. After the magical 90s when it seemed there was nothing a Miss India couldn't win, it's difficult to imagine what she can.

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Even those who did India proud in the past are worried about the dismal performance since 2000. Yukta Mookhey, Miss World 1999, feels the new girls lack focus and application. "Besides good looks and an attractive figure, a pageant like Miss World also requires a lot of hard work, patience and resilience. I think we need to work harder in order to win. Why is it that Miss Indias make it to the last five or ten but then lose? It just highlights the need to keep cool, use your brains and stay composed till the very end. That is the only way to come up tops," she says.

Model-turned-actress Diana Hayden, who won the Miss World title in 1997 and proved Aishwarya Rai wasn't a fluke, questions India's much-vaunted training programme for international pageants. According to her: "Our girls are just as beautiful as contestants from other parts of the world. However the parameters of judging physical beauty and mental poise have changed over the years and I think how we prepare Miss Indias should reflect these changes. The girls need to follow a strict regime months before the contest, not just weeks. With number of participants increasing every year, standards are also rising and the contest is getting tougher."

Celina Jaitley, another beauty queen who is trying to make a career in films after finishing Fourth Runners-Up at Miss Universe 2001, blames India's continuing failure on sheer bad luck. "In every big pageant our girls reach the final stage and then seem to mess up their chances of winning the title. I believe that no matter how hard you have prepared, you still need luck to be on your side on D-Day.

"In fact it's 80 per cent hard work and 20 per cent luck that determines the final outcome. For example when I was judged fifth at Miss Universe in 2001, I thought my luck had deserted me. I had everything else going in my favour," she insists.

The glam gals however don't subscribe to the view that rigging on global scale and commercial interests decide who wins beauty pageants. "It's uncharitable to assume that the cosmetic companies are running the show at these prestigious events," says Hayden.

Blame Game: Go ahead, take your pick

1. BAD ATTITUDE: Lure of films is making beauty queens casual
2. BAD TRAINING: Problems with selection and training process
3. BAD JUDGEMENT: Judges are guided by factors other than merit
4. BAD LUCK: You win some, you lose some!