BRICS Parliamentary Forum to meet in Delhi: Om Birla

1. At a Glance

• The BRICS Parliamentary Forum (BRICS PF) is the meeting of BRICS legislatures: presiding officers and MPs. It runs alongside the summit and ministerial tracks. India is hosting the 12th edition in New Delhi [1][3].
• The 2026 theme is "Fostering parliaments for people-centric development" [1].
• It is part of India's 2026 BRICS Chairship, the same year as the 18th BRICS Summit (New Delhi, 12–13 Sept 2026) [4].
• Why it matters: it is a tool of parliamentary diplomacy (GS-II: international groupings, India's role). The same press conference also raised Article 85 (summoning and proroguing Parliament) and anti-defection (Tenth Schedule) issues (GS-II Polity) [1].

2. Why in the News

• On 22 Oct 2026 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that the 12th BRICS PF will be held in New Delhi on 26–27 October 2026 [1].
• The format has both bilateral and multilateral discussions. Presiding officers, MPs and dignitaries from BRICS and partner countries will attend [1].
• PM Narendra Modi will attend. The two Houses' Leaders of Opposition were not sent separate invitations [1].
• Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia said they cannot participate. Most other countries have confirmed [1].
• Agenda: institutional resilience, ethical AI, digital transformation, reform of global governance, and sustainable development [1].
• Side issues raised:
• Asked about the delay in proroguing the Monsoon Session, Birla cited Article 85 and said the Speaker has no role in summoning or proroguing a session [1].
• On the disqualification petitions against 20 MPs who broke away from the Trinamool Congress, he said he would expedite the process once the MPs submit their replies [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 2015: the first BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Moscow (static, verify).
• July 2024: at the BRICS parliamentary meet under Russia's chairship, Birla called for reform of the UNSC and WTO [6].
• 3–5 June 2025: the 11th BRICS PF was held in Brasília, Brazil. Om Birla led the Indian parliamentary delegation [2].
• At the close of the Brasília forum (June 2025): India got the hosting rights for the 12th BRICS PF, and the chairmanship was formally handed to Om Birla [3].
• Brasília sub-themes: there were four, including AI and economic development [3].
• 11 June 2026: the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum opened in New Delhi under India's Chairship [5].
• 12–13 Sept 2026: the 18th BRICS Summit was scheduled in New Delhi [4]. A possible India–China bilateral was among the key events on the summit agenda [7].
• 26–27 Oct 2026: the 12th BRICS PF meets in New Delhi [1].

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• The forum gives India a platform to push reform of global governance (UNSC, WTO). Birla raised the same demand at the 2024 forum [6][1].
• Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia staying away shows that the expanded BRICS is uneven in how much members engage [1].
• It feeds into the main Chairship events, the 18th Summit and the India–China engagement there [4][7].

Governance / Ethical

• The theme puts the citizen at the centre of law-making. "Ethical AI" places India in the global debate on governing AI [1].
• Not separately inviting the Leaders of Opposition raises a question about bipartisanship in parliamentary diplomacy [1].

Legal / Constitutional

• Article 85: summoning and proroguing sessions is the executive's power, exercised through the President, not the Speaker's [1]. In practice the President acts on ministerial advice (static, verify).
• Anti-defection: the 20 Trinamool MPs' case raises the issue of the Speaker's delay in deciding petitions. Precedents include Kihoto Hollohan (1992) and Keisham Meghachandra (2020), which said petitions should be decided within a reasonable time, about 3 months (static, verify) [1].

Scientific / Technological

• Digital transformation of legislatures and AI are recurring themes. AI appeared at Brasília 2025 and again in Delhi 2026 [3][1].

Administrative

• The forum is part of a multi-track Chairship calendar: ministerial forums such as the Urbanisation Forum, then the Summit, then the Parliamentary Forum [5][4][1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 3–5 June 2025: 11th BRICS PF in Brasília; Birla leads India's delegation [2].
• June 2025: India receives the 12th BRICS PF chairmanship [3].
• 11 June 2026: 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum begins in New Delhi [5].
• 12–13 Sept 2026: 18th BRICS Summit, New Delhi [4][7].
• 22 Oct 2026: Speaker announces the 12th BRICS PF; Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia decline [1].
• 26–27 Oct 2026: 12th BRICS PF, New Delhi [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• India hosts the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, New Delhi, 26–27 October 2026 [1].
• 2026 theme: "Fostering parliaments for people-centric development" [1].
• The 11th BRICS PF was held in Brasília, Brazil (3–5 June 2025) [2].
• The BRICS PF chairmanship was handed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Brasília [3].
• The 18th BRICS Summit was in New Delhi, 12–13 Sept 2026 [4].
• The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum began in New Delhi on 11 June 2026 [5].
• Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia declined to attend the 12th BRICS PF [1].
• The 2026 agenda includes ethical AI and reform of global governance [1].
• Article 85: the President (not the Speaker) summons and prorogues Parliament [1].
• Under Article 85, the gap between two sessions must be less than six months (static, verify).
• Defection petitions are decided by the presiding officer under Para 6, Tenth Schedule (static, verify).
• The first BRICS PF was held in Moscow, 2015 (static, verify).

8. What a Parliamentary Forum Can Do That a Summit Cannot

• MPs can say things in a shared text that governments find harder to agree on
• At the close of the Brasília forum in 2025, the joint declaration strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam [10].
• Member parliaments also agreed to act together against terrorism. Birla pushed for action on terror financing and better intelligence sharing [10].

• For India, this is a useful result. Countries with very different politics put their names to a text that names an attack on India.

• Its limit: a declaration is a statement, not a decision

• What came out of Brasília was a declaration of shared views on AI, trade, terrorism and peace [10]. No treaty or funding came with it.

• Laws and budgets still go through each country's own government and legislature. So the 2026 agenda items (ethical AI, reform of global governance) only matter if governments take them up at the Summit track [1][4].

• How to use this in an answer

• Parliamentary diplomacy (contact between legislatures, not governments) builds a shared language and some pressure. It does not replace what governments negotiate.
• Birla has asked for UNSC and WTO reform at this forum before, in 2024 [6], and again in 2025 [10]. Asking every year shows the demand has not yet turned into any change in those bodies.

9. Bigger BRICS, Harder to Get Everyone in the Room

• Attendance has dropped since Brasília
• In 2025, the parliaments of all 10 member countries took part in the Brasília forum [10].

• In 2026, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia said they cannot come [1]. Ethiopia is a full member, and Saudi Arabia's status is still not settled (see the note's §4).

• Why it matters for India as host

• A host is judged partly by who turns up. Gaps in attendance make a joint declaration look less like the voice of the whole group.

• Every extra member means more interests to balance, so the text gets weaker or takes longer to agree. India wants strong wording on terrorism and on UNSC reform, so it feels this directly.

• Do not read too much into it

• The sources give no reason for either country staying away [1]. In an answer, call it a sign of uneven engagement, not a split in BRICS.

10. Why Leaving Out the Opposition Weakens India's Message

• What happened: the Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) of both Houses were not sent separate invitations. The Prime Minister will attend [1].
• Why this cuts against the forum's own theme
• The theme is about parliaments serving people [1]. A parliament speaks for all its members, not only the ruling side.

• When a forum of legislatures gives a place to the head of government but not to the opposition, it looks more like the government's diplomacy than Parliament's.

• The strongest counter-argument

• The Speaker hosts on behalf of the whole House. LoPs are MPs, so they are not formally shut out.

• This is fair as far as protocol goes. But the Leader of Opposition is a recognised post. Not giving that post a separate invitation, while the PM attends, sends a signal that protocol alone does not explain.

• What would fix it: the Lok Sabha Secretariat could include the LoPs of both Houses in the Indian delegation by default, so foreign delegates see one Indian Parliament.

11. The Speaker Wears Two Hats — and the Defection Case Shows the Strain

• One person, two roles at the same time
• Om Birla chairs an international forum about strong, fair parliaments [1][3].

• At home, he is also the judge on disqualification petitions against 20 MPs who left the Trinamool Congress [1].

• Why delay is the real problem

• Under the Tenth Schedule (the anti-defection law), the Speaker acts as a tribunal (a body that decides a legal dispute) [9].
• In Keisham Meghachandra Singh (2020), the Supreme Court said such petitions must be decided in a reasonable time. Without exceptional reasons, three months from filing is the outer limit [9].
• In that case, petitions filed in April 2017 had still not been decided years later. The Court finally gave the Manipur Speaker four weeks [9].

• While a petition sits undecided, the MPs keep their seats and votes. So a delay can help one side, even if nobody intends it.

• What the Court suggested

• Parliament could amend the Constitution so that someone other than the Speaker decides these cases. One option is a permanent tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired High Court Chief Justice [9].
• Birla has said he will speed up the case once the MPs reply [1]. The three-month limit gives a clear yardstick to judge that promise against.

12. Promoting Strong Parliaments Abroad While Parliament Meets Less at Home

• The numbers
• In its first two decades, the Lok Sabha met a little over 120 days a year on average. In the last decade, the average has been about 70 days [8].

• The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) recommended at least 120 sitting days for the Lok Sabha and 100 for the Rajya Sabha [8].

• Why the Article 85 answer matters

• Birla said correctly that the Speaker has no role in summoning or proroguing (formally ending) a session [1].
• In practice the government decides the dates, and the Constitution only requires a sitting at least once every six months. There is no fixed yearly calendar [8].

• PRS points out that this lets a government shorten or delay a session to avoid a hard debate [8]. The delay in proroguing the Monsoon Session is a small example of the government controlling the calendar.

• What can be done, with a precedent

• Parliament could adopt a fixed annual calendar with a minimum number of sitting days, as the NCRWC proposed [8].
• Karnataka passed a law in 2005 requiring at least 60 sitting days a year for its legislature [8]. That shows a minimum can be written into law.
• A forum on "people-centric" parliaments is a good moment for India to show this at home too.

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Lok Sabha sittings fell from about 120 days a year (first two decades) to about 70 days a year (last decade) [8]
• Report/Committee: NCRWC recommended at least 120 sitting days for the Lok Sabha and 100 for the Rajya Sabha [8]
• Law/Case: Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Speaker, Manipur (2020): disqualification petitions should be decided within three months at most; the Court also suggested an independent tribunal [9]; Article 85 on summoning and prorogation [1]
• Comparison: Karnataka's 2005 law requires at least 60 sitting days a year for the state legislature [8]
• Data: Parliaments of all 10 BRICS members took part in Brasília 2025, and the joint declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack [10]

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-II, International Relations: "Important international institutions, agencies and fora"; "Bilateral, regional and global groupings involving India."
• GS-II, Polity: "Parliament — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges"; anti-defection law.
• GS-III (minor): AI and digital governance.
• Possible question stems: 1. Parliamentary diplomacy complements executive-led multilateralism. Examine with reference to India's hosting of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum. (150 words) 2. With BRICS expanding, can it remain a cohesive voice for reform of global governance? Critically analyse India's role. (250 words) 3. Delays by presiding officers in deciding disqualification petitions weaken the Tenth Schedule. Discuss in light of judicial pronouncements. (250 words)

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• BRICS expansion (2024–25) and partner-country category: this explains who attended and who did not (Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia).
• New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement: these are the institutional pillars of BRICS.
• India's 2026 BRICS Chairship and the 18th Summit: the umbrella process for this forum [4].
• G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20): a comparable parliamentary diplomacy track; India hosted it in 2023 (static, verify).
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): the global body of parliaments.
• Article 85 and parliamentary sessions: prorogation versus adjournment versus dissolution.
• Tenth Schedule and Speaker's neutrality: this links to the Trinamool MPs' case [1].
• Global AI governance: India's position, given the "ethical AI" agenda [1].

16. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Anti-defection law (Polity): Explains the Tenth Schedule rules behind the disqualification petitions against 20 Trinamool MPs raised at the press conference.
• Prorogation (Polity): Birla's Article 85 answer is about who ends a session; prorogation differs from adjournment and dissolution.
• Summoning of Parliament (Polity): Article 85 gives the President the power to summon Parliament, with no more than six months between sessions.
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Polity): Birla chairs the forum and, as Speaker, decides defection cases, so his role in both issues matters.
• Multilateralism (Economy): BRICS and its parliamentary forum are multilateral platforms, and India pushes reform of the UNSC and WTO through them.
• Sustainable development (Economy): Sustainable development is one of the forum's agenda pillars, and its theme is people-centric development.

17. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Edition and venue mix-up: 11th = Brasília 2025; 12th = New Delhi 2026 [2][1]. Do not confuse the BRICS PF edition number with the Summit number (18th) or the Urbanisation Forum number (13th) [4][5].
• Who prorogues Parliament? The President under Article 85, not the Speaker [1]. Also note that prorogation ends a session, while adjournment only suspends a sitting.
• Membership status: Saudi Arabia's BRICS membership is ambiguous, and Ethiopia is a full member. Neither attending says nothing either way about membership [1] (status: static, verify).
• Chair of the BRICS PF: it is the Lok Sabha Speaker, not the Rajya Sabha Chairman (Vice-President) [3].
• Theme confusion: do not mix the 2026 theme with the Brasília sub-themes (AI and economic development) [1][3].