Latest news with #RoshniSharma
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Indian model's revelations on low payment stirs fashion industry: ‘Rs 15-20k per day for walking 3-4 shows, being there for 12 hours…'
For models, fashion is a complex world that stands in stark contrast to its glamorous public image. While some models achieve fame and fortune, the majority of them face significant challenges, including financial instability, intense pressure, and exploitation. They are often underpaid or even asked to work for long hours at fashion events. A model recently revealed it all on social media. Model calls out low wages and long working hours in fashion world A model named Roshni Sharma took to Instagram to shed light on how models receive low payments to work for 12 hours a day. They also have to manage their travel and accommodation by themselves. In a video posted by her, the young model expressed concern by saying, "Rates are going crazily low. There are so many models who are trying to get work and are budging their budgets down to a point where you can't even accept it." Models receive Rs 15k to Rs 20k for 3-4 shows, work for 12 hours Speaking about how models are exploited during fashion weeks, she added, "People are getting 15-20k per day for walking 3-4 shows, being there for 12 hours, doing hair and makeup, and paying for their own travel and stay in the city." Roshni urges models to ask for 'better budget' "The rates for a fashion week, especially for a pool model, should be around 40k minimum per day and the stay and travel should be included—if you are someone with experience and have walked a lot, please don't feel insecure and ask for a better budget if you think you deserve it," an excerpt from her post reads. "When you walk as a model, you are basically putting in efforts of being in measurements that is very very difficult to maintain with the right kind of food and the right kind of wellness routine (sic)," she added. Roshni further urged other models to pitch themselves at the right "rate" without being exploited. Netizens praised the model in the comment section for bringing out the issue in public. Now, it is to be seen if such concerns will be heard to make the fashion industry a better workplace.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
That reel is not going to put food on your plate: Indian model slams fashion shows for unfair pay
Indian model Roshni Sharma ignited a debate by exposing the fashion industry's exploitation, citing low pay and emotional manipulation. Veteran Sonalika Sahay and other models supported her, highlighting issues like bloggers earning more and backlash for demanding fair wages. They emphasized the need for collective action to address the industry's broken economics and ensure models receive fair compensation and respect. For an industry built on glamour, the Indian fashion world has a dark, hushed reality, one that many models have lived through, but few have dared to voice. That is, until now. Earlier this week, model Roshni Sharma took to Instagram with a candid, no-holds-barred post that pulled the veil off the deeply ingrained exploitation models face on the runway. Her words were raw, pointed, and painfully honest, a mirror held up to an industry that often celebrates beauty while quietly underpaying the very women who walk for it. 'The rates for a fashion week especially for a pool model should be around 40k minimum per day and the stay and travel should included - if you are someone with experience and have walked a lot, please don't feel insecure and ask for a better budget, if you think you deserve it. If you're with an agency, always ask your agent to pay you at higher rates than the previous season,' she wrote. Roshni didn't stop there. She called out how models are often emotionally manipulated with promises of going viral or being 'seen,' especially when walking for high-profile events like leading fashion weeks. 'That reel is not going to put food on your plate neither on anybody's plate,' she added. She also highlighted the physical toll of the job. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Undo 'When you walk as a model, you are basically putting in efforts of being in measurements that is very very difficult to maintain with the right kind of food and the right kind of wellness routine. The brand that you walk for are making hundred times the amount you get paid when you walk for them. Please be smart before it's too late.' The response was instant and intense. Fashion veteran Sonalika Sahay echoed Sharma's sentiment, shedding light on a bigger, systemic problem. 'Good point, Roshni. Rates have hit rock bottom, largely because agencies are offering models to these fashion weeks simply for mileage. Add to that the internal undercutting cartel, and it's become a deeply unhealthy ecosystem,' she commented. 'We've now reached a stage where, on some occasions, bloggers are paid more than the models on the ramp. What's worse is that asking for your rightful show rate often invites backlash. The industry has become so fragmented that even our own people resist any attempt to raise standards. Fixing this would require a collective effort. We have tried for years but it feels like trying to rein in a mammoth,' added Sahay. Other models chimed in, validating the growing frustration. Model Teajay Gill didn't mince his words: 'Models taking up campaign shoots and big TVCs for 30–40k and shows for 5–10k have ruined the market.' Model Mannat Khanna simply added: 'Someone had to say it. Thank you.' The modelling industry in India has always had two faces, one that shines under the runway lights and another that quietly absorbs the exploitation. What these voices are doing is bringing both into focus. It's not just about low rates. It's about dignity. Fairness. Acknowledgement of the time, effort, and physical discipline it takes to maintain a sample-size body, be on call for castings, deal with last-minute fittings, and bring a designer's vision to life, only to be told that exposure should be enough of a reward. When models are penalised for asking for a decent paycheque, when bloggers and influencers, no shade to them, are paid higher simply for reach, and when fashion weeks continue to rake in profits while their core talent remains under-compensated, something is fundamentally broken. And for an industry that thrives on aesthetics and progressiveness, it's ironic how regressive its economics can be. If this post by Roshni Sharma sparks even a small shift in how models value themselves and how the industry values them, it will be a step forward. Because exposure doesn't pay rent. And reels, as she put it, don't put food on your plate. The Indian fashion industry may be watching, but the question is, will it listen?
NDTV
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Rs 6,000 Per Day Salary, 12-Hour Work: Indian Models Call Out Exploitation In Fashion
Models in India are speaking up louder than ever, and it's not for the camera. In a hard-hitting Instagram post, model Roshni Sharma pulled back the curtain on the glam of India's fashion industry, exposing the dismal state of model payments. "Fashion week rates for pool models should start at ₹40,000 a day, with travel and stay included. If you've walked before, don't let anyone make you feel insecure. Ask for what you deserve," she wrote in the caption. Roshni's post and the accompanying video triggered a wave of responses from other models across the industry, many of whom shared experiences of being overworked, underpaid, and routinely devalued. NDTV spoke to a few of the models. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Roshni Sharma (@roshoflove) "12-Hour Days, ₹6,000 Pay - And No Food" "I've done shows where I was called in at 9 AM for a 9:30 PM show, and paid just ₹6,000 and sometimes nothing at all," says Teajay Gil, 27, a model with nine years in the industry. "No pay for fittings, no travel reimbursement, and terrible food. Often, we buy our own meals." According to Teajay, male models routinely get booked for as little as ₹6,000–₹7,000 per show. "Show directors even brag to clients about how little they paid a model," he adds. "Ideal rates should be ₹15,000–₹35,000 for male models and ₹20,000 - ₹50,000 for female models per day, per show. And fittings must be paid for." "A Commercial Budgeted At ₹4 Lakhs Was Offered To Me For ₹35,000" It's not just fashion weeks. Ramp and print models are also being edged out of brand campaigns and TV commercials by influencers - while middlemen allegedly pocket the budget difference. "I was offered ₹35,000 for a 12-hour shoot for a global brand that was going to use my face across print, cinema, TV, and digital. I posted a screenshot, and they upped it to ₹80,000. Still not enough. The brand budget was clearly way more. So, where's the money going?" Teajay pointed out the unfairness. He also highlights unpaid backstage photo shoots. "They ask us to pose before the show in full gear. There's lighting, photographers, everything, it's basically a shoot. But we don't get paid for it." "Social Media Has Made Everyone A 'Model' And That's Hurting Us" Shimei Nathan, a 23-year-old model, says the rise of "influencer modelling" has severely impacted professionals like her. "Now, anyone with a phone and a few followers calls themselves a model," she says. "Brands exploit that. They ask us to work for free for exposure, but exposure doesn't pay bills." She adds, "Agencies are asking us to grow our social presence to get work. But shouldn't brands pay more if they want to use our social media too?" "Models Are Treated Like Hangers" Veteran beauty expert Elton J Fernandez, who's worked in the industry for over two decades, recalls what he sees backstage. "Models, even those who've worked for 15–20 years, are treated as hangers. Meanwhile, actors walking as showstoppers are pampered, prioritised, and promoted.' Elton calls it 'dignity disparity.' While influencers earn lakhs for a single Instagram reel, models walk in shows for ₹10,000. 'And we - makeup and hair artists - are given ₹4,000 per model for both hair and makeup. For men, even less. The cost of just one quality mascara is ₹1,500." He asks: "Why is everyone in the ecosystem - designers, corporates, influencers - making money, except those who actually create the magic?" "It's A Power Game. Speak Up, And You're Blacklisted" The issue isn't just about money. It's about fear and silence. "If you raise your voice, you're seen as 'difficult'," says Elton. "You get blacklisted. I once called out a top designer for mistreating a model, and I never got work from them again." Elton adds, "Exploitation doesn't have to be sexual to be valid. Today's oppression is more invisible, more strategic, and just as damaging." "The Cycle Of Undervaluation Has To Break" Actor Smaran Sahu adds that the rot runs across industries. "Post-COVID, budgets have been slashed. But while productions still roll, it's the actors and models who are forced to work for half and sometimes a third of what they were paid earlier. There's always someone willing to do it for less." But that, he says, sets off a dangerous cycle: "When the most visible part of your creative output - the face, the body, the performance - is devalued, it lowers the quality of the entire industry." So, What Now? The Indian fashion and advertising industry is at a crossroads where inclusivity and aesthetics have grown, but dignity and fair pay have not. Models like Roshni, Teajay, and Shimei are asking for transparency, better contracts, paid fittings, fair compensation for social media usage, and above all - respect. They're also urging newer models not to undercut rates just for a foot in the door. As Roshni Sharma said in her post: "If you've got experience, don't be afraid to ask for more. A viral reel won't put food on your plate." The question now, is - will the industry finally listen?
India Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Why revenue officials still police parts of Uttarakhand
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 28, 2025)A narrow, slippery trail climbs steeply for 100 metres before you reach the remote chowki in Jakhnikhal tehsil of Pauri Garhwal district. The outpost is a rundown two-storeyed structure, its central hall serving as a shared office for several patwaris—revenue sub-inspectors tasked with policing dozens of villages between them. A rusted lockup now holds old documents and body bags; a toilet has become a records room. A few cracked chairs flank a bench; faded maps hang loose on the walls. Roshni Sharma, 27, has been posted here just a few months. 'We handle land records and police work, both,' says the young patwari, who has seven villages under her jurisdiction. 'It becomes hard to do either properly.'advertisementFor nearly two centuries, policing in Uttarakhand's hilly interior is carried out not by trained officers, but by revenue officials like Roshni—patwaris, kanungos, lekhpals—whose primary job was to maintain land records, collect taxes, compile census data and issue certificates. This Revenue Police (RP) system, introduced by the British in the early 19th century, still serves nearly half the state's area and about 25 per cent of its population. RP officials can file FIRs, investigate crimes, arrest suspects and submit chargesheets in court, but only up to a point. Cases of serious crime are transferred to the regular police, triggering a slow bureaucratic relay: from patwari to district magistrate (DM) to superintendent of police (SP) to the police station concerned. Evidence is often lost in the lag. After years of delay and resistance, the system is now under pressure. In May 2024, the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) gave the state one year to implement a 2018 judgment that had ordered the abolition of the RP system. But with 4,421 villages still under the jurisdiction of 478 RP chowkis, a civil contempt petition was filed recently, citing non-compliance. The court has asked the government to file a response. The state government, meanwhile, claims progress. According to official data, since 2023, 1,357 revenue villages have been brought under regular police with the setting up of six new stations and 20 outposts. Additionally, the jurisdiction of 52 existing police stations and 19 outposts has been expanded to encompass 1,800 more villages. But a lot of work remains. 'In the current day and age, we need police coverage in all areas because their work is not just limited to crime control and law and order,' admits Abhinav Kumar, a former acting director-general of police (DGP) of Uttarakhand, who is now posted as additional director-general (ADG), prisons. 'At present, almost a fourth of the state's population remains uncovered by the regular police. This is an anomaly that must be corrected.'A COLONIAL RELICThe RP system began after the British annexed Kumaon and eastern Garhwal (present-day Pauri Garhwal) from the Gurkhas in 1816. Finding little crime in the rugged hills, they chose not to deploy regular police outside towns like Almora and Nainital, instead giving police powers to revenue officials. After the 1857 revolt, while modern policing spread elsewhere, the British retained the RP model in hill areas under the Scheduled Districts Act of 1874. Also tried in parts of present-day Himachal Pradesh, Assam and some tribal regions, it was phased out there decades ago. Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, and its own Police Act came in 2007—but in many districts, the colonial system stayed in days, however, crime in the hills is no longer rare or simple. The rise of tourism, road networks connecting remote villages, the proliferation of mobile phones and porous borders have brought in organised crime, drug trafficking and cybercrime. 'Tourism brings new challenges,' says a retired IPS officer who served in both UP and Uttarakhand. 'When outsiders are involved, coordination is nearly impossible for the revenue police. Getting forensic help is also hard.'In RP areas, the patwari—who may be as young as Roshni—is the top investigating officer, regardless of the nature of the crime. There is no supervisory chain of command like in regular police stations, where cases are overseen by sub-inspectors, inspectors and deputy SPs. Training is minimal; one patwari admitted they had barely been briefed on the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) last lack of training can have serious repercussions. The 2018 HC judgment stemmed from a 2011 dowry death case in Tehri Garhwal, which exposed delays and inefficiencies in the RP system. However, the state challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court. In 2022, the system's limitations were starkly highlighted again when 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari went missing from a resort in Rishikesh, where she worked. Her disappearance was reported to the local patwari, but no FIR was registered. The case was transferred to the regular police days later, by which time crucial evidence had employer, Pulkit Arya—the son of a former BJP leader—was later arrested for her murder (and recently sentenced to life imprisonment). The patwari in charge, Vaibhav Pratap, was suspended and arrested for negligence. The case triggered a political storm, with Uttarakhand assembly speaker Ritu Khanduri writing to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urging abolition of the colonial-era system. Soon after, the cabinet approved a proposal to phase out the RP. But, in many areas, nothing has Jhaid village in Pauri Garhwal district, for instance, residents recall an incident just weeks ago when an elderly man slipped into a gorge. With no road, and no regular police, it took locals and the patwari nearly eight hours to retrieve the body. 'It has been nearly 78 years since Independence, and still we have no proper police,' says Yogesh Maithani, a local. 'Many incidents go know the lone patwari has no resources.'advertisement CAUGHT BETWEEN ROLESFor patwaris, the job is a daily balancing act between civil and policing duties. 'We do the same work as a sub-inspector or inspector, but also handle land records, government schemes—and do it without vehicles, weapons or staff,' says Atul Balodhi, president of the Pauri District Patwari Sangh. 'Even our safety is at risk.'In disaster-prone hill regions, the patwari is also the first responder during landslides, floods and road accidents. So far, Roshni has dealt with two criminal cases—a missing girl and a village brawl. But as the area's de facto cop, more calls are sure to come. 'The worst is accidental deaths. We're expected to shift the body, arrange the postmortem, coordinate with the family—all without any support,' she says. 'We end up begging locals for help.' She now leans on two fellow women patwaris from her training batch—Monika, who covers seven villages, and Sheetal Negi, who manages 14. 'That's why we share the chowki,' she says. 'So we can help each other.'advertisementDespite multiple court orders and official commitments, progress on dismantling the RP system remains halting—partly due to political and administrative resistance. A senior IPS officer tells india today that the inertia stems from multiple quarters: 'Politicians are wary of disturbing a status quo that gives them informal leverage. The civil bureaucracy, especially at the district level, has the most to lose in terms of authority.' Even some locals are nostalgic about the patwari as a familiar authority IG (law & order) and police spokesperson Nilesh Anand Bharne is emphatic that reforms are under way. 'We are committed to improving policing and public services across the state, and replacing revenue police wherever needed. We have already brought large areas and population under regular police,' he with vast swathes of Uttarakhand still being policed by revenue officials, Balodhi complains that they are left to operate with outdated tools and little institutional support. 'The world has moved on. But we haven't,' he says. 'We don't have digital records, we're not connected to a centralised crime tracking network, everything is still on paper.' Unless the transition to regular policing is accelerated and implemented in both letter and spirit, accountability, justice and public safety in the hills will remain patchy—and patwaris like Roshni will be left to shoulder impossible burdens.—By Avaneesh Mishra in Dehradun and Pauri GarhwalSubscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends
