UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Building consensus

Question 1

In the context of BRICS in 2026, the expression 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' denotes which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The guiding theme of India's Chairship, which was also carried as the title of the summit's outcome document

Answer

The name of the deep-tech exposition organised at the summit venue on the two days preceding the Leaders' Session

Answer

The declaration adopted by the agriculture ministers of the grouping at their meeting held in Madhya Pradesh in June

Answer

The standing motto of the grouping's Sherpa track, retained unchanged by every Chair since the Fortaleza Summit

Question 2

India took over the BRICS Chairship for 2026 and hosted the 18th Summit at New Delhi. From which one of the following countries, as the outgoing Chair, did India receive the Chairship?

Accepted Answer

Brazil, which hosted the preceding Leaders' Summit at Rio de Janeiro

Answer

Russian Federation, which hosted the preceding Leaders' Summit at Kazan

Answer

South Africa, which hosted the preceding Leaders' Summit at Johannesburg

Answer

China, which hosted the preceding Leaders' Summit at Xiamen

Question 3

The decision to expand BRIC into BRICS by admitting South Africa was taken at which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Foreign Ministers' meeting of the grouping held at New York in 2010, on the margins of the UN General Assembly

Answer

The 3rd Summit of the grouping, held at Sanya in 2011, which South Africa attended as a full member

Answer

The 1st Summit of the grouping, held at Yekaterinburg in 2009, at which the leaders first met in that format

Answer

The 2nd Summit of the grouping, held at Brasilia in 2010, hosted by the then Chair of the grouping

Question 4

With reference to the membership of BRICS as it stood at the time of the 18th Summit, which one of the following correctly describes the status of Indonesia?

Accepted Answer

A full member that joined in 2025, taking the strength of the grouping to eleven countries

Answer

A full member admitted in the 2024 round together with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE

Answer

A partner country that attends the grouping's meetings without the rights of a full member

Answer

A founding member of the grouping that lapsed from membership before South Africa's entry

Question 5

The outcome document adopted by the leaders at the 17th Summit of BRICS, held in July 2025, is known as which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Rio de Janeiro Declaration

Answer

The Kazan Declaration

Answer

The Fortaleza Declaration

Answer

The Johannesburg Declaration

Question 6

Which one of the following statements about the Leaders' Summits of BRICS is correct?

Accepted Answer

The 13th Summit, chaired by India, was convened in virtual format and its outcome document was the New Delhi Declaration

Answer

The first Leaders' Summit of the grouping was held at Sanya, which was also the first summit attended by all the founding members

Answer

Every Leaders' Summit since the grouping's inception has been held physically in the capital city of the host country

Answer

All members of the grouping have hosted at least one Leaders' Summit since the grouping acquired its present name

Question 7

Counting the Chairship it assumed on 1 January 2026, how many times in all has India chaired BRICS since the grouping's first Leaders' Summit?

Accepted Answer

Four

Answer

Two

Answer

Three

Answer

Five

Question 8

Consider the following pairs of BRICS Leaders' Summits claimed to have been held under India's Chairship:
1. 4th BRICS Summit (2012) — New Delhi
2. 8th BRICS Summit (2016) — Goa
3. 13th BRICS Summit (2021) — held in virtual format
4. 15th BRICS Summit (2023) — Bengaluru
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

Accepted Answer

4 only

Answer

1 only

Answer

3 only

Answer

2 and 4

Question 9

With reference to BRICS, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is best described as which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

A treaty-based framework of mutual currency swaps among the central banks of member countries to provide short-term liquidity support

Answer

A multilateral bank that mobilises resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in member and other developing economies

Answer

A clearing house set up by the finance ministries of member countries to settle intra-grouping trade wholly in local currencies

Answer

A pooled sovereign fund administered by the grouping's development bank to finance climate adaptation in member economies

Question 10

India's convening role as Chair — which enabled bilateral engagements such as the Iran–UAE meeting on the margins of the 18th Summit — rests on a designated nodal Union Ministry that runs the BRICS Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa track. Which one of the following is that Ministry?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of External Affairs, through its Multilateral Economic Relations Division, which handles the grouping as a whole

Answer

Ministry of Finance, through its Department of Economic Affairs, which handles the grouping's financial cooperation track

Answer

Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through its Department of Commerce, which handles the grouping's trade ministers' track

Answer

Cabinet Secretariat, which coordinates the grouping's summit-level engagements across participating Union Ministries

Question 11

The BRICS agenda of 'reformed multilateralism' centres on making the UN Security Council more representative. As of the 18th Summit, how many of the member countries of BRICS are permanent members of the UN Security Council?

Accepted Answer

Two

Answer

One

Answer

Three

Answer

Four

Question 12

During India's Chairship, over 350 BRICS meetings and engagements were spread across 25 cities. Consider the following ministerial meetings of 2026 and their claimed host cities:
1. 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting — Indore
2. 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting — Gurugram
3. 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting — Chandigarh
4. 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting — Bhubaneswar
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

4 only

Answer

1 and 2

Answer

3 only

Answer

2 and 4

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Building consensus

Q1. In the context of BRICS in 2026, the expression 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' denotes which one of the following?

Q2. India took over the BRICS Chairship for 2026 and hosted the 18th Summit at New Delhi. From which one of the following countries, as the outgoing Chair, did India receive the Chairship?

Q3. The decision to expand BRIC into BRICS by admitting South Africa was taken at which one of the following?

Q4. With reference to the membership of BRICS as it stood at the time of the 18th Summit, which one of the following correctly describes the status of Indonesia?

Q5. The outcome document adopted by the leaders at the 17th Summit of BRICS, held in July 2025, is known as which one of the following?

Q6. Which one of the following statements about the Leaders' Summits of BRICS is correct?

Q7. Counting the Chairship it assumed on 1 January 2026, how many times in all has India chaired BRICS since the grouping's first Leaders' Summit?

Q9. With reference to BRICS, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is best described as which one of the following?

Q10. India's convening role as Chair — which enabled bilateral engagements such as the Iran–UAE meeting on the margins of the 18th Summit — rests on a designated nodal Union Ministry that runs the BRICS Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa track. Which one of the following is that Ministry?

Q11. The BRICS agenda of 'reformed multilateralism' centres on making the UN Security Council more representative. As of the 18th Summit, how many of the member countries of BRICS are permanent members of the UN Security Council?