"Parliamentary diplomacy is an under-utilised instrument of India's foreign policy." Discuss with reference to India hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum.

Parliamentary diplomacy is when legislators build ties with legislatures abroad, alongside the government's own diplomacy. On 26 October 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla opened the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at Samvidhan Sadan [1]. The event shows what this tool can do, and also how little India has used it.

Potential: what the 12th Forum shows

• A bridge in a divided world: Birla called Parliaments "bridges of understanding" that can ease international tensions [1]. MPs can keep talking when governments are stuck.
• Convening an expanded BRICS: India brought Egypt, UAE and Iran to the same table as the founding members [1]. This raises India's standing as a voice of the Global South.
• Continuity across editions: India received the chairship at the 11th Forum in Brasília (June 2025) [2][4]. The Speaker leads India's delegation [3], so this track runs on its own, apart from the government's.
• Soft power through youth: India has over 65% of its people under 35 [2]. The theme of listening to youth turns that into a diplomatic message [1].
• Outcome orientation: Birla cited PM Modi's idea of BRICS as an "ecosystem of solutions" [1].

Why it remains under-utilised

• Executive dominance: Foreign affairs is Entry 10 of the Union List, and the executive negotiates treaties. Parliament does not ratify them. Legislators therefore have little stake in foreign policy.
• Episodic engagement: Forums meet once a year and are largely ceremonial. Their declarations bind no Parliament.
• Weak follow-up: Birla himself said success should be judged by the depth of outcomes, not the breadth of discussion [1]. Yet no mechanism exists to report back on what was done.
• Diverse members: The expanded BRICS includes very different political systems. This makes joint parliamentary positions harder to reach.

Way forward

• Report at the 13th Forum on what India did after New Delhi.
• Link the Standing Committee on External Affairs to delegation agendas.
• Build standing friendship groups and joint youth parliaments with BRICS partners.

India's chairship shows that parliamentary diplomacy can complement government-level diplomacy. Using it fully needs institutional follow-through, not only occasional events. If Parliaments that represent citizens act as bridges between nations, they advance the Preamble's democratic spirit and SDG 16's goal of inclusive institutions.